O  PRINCETON,  N.  J.  <J^ 


Presented  by  Mr.  Samuel  Agnew  of  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


BV   107    .A65    1851 

American  and  Foreign  Sabbat 

Union. 
Permanent  Sabbath  documents 

of  the  American  and  foreig 


.jfe-^K^^^^S^^^ 


'I'ERMANENT 


SABBATH    DOCUMENTS 


:3lmmcan  anb  Joreign  Sabbatl)  Bnion. 


BOSTON : 

PERKINS  &  WHIPPLE,  100  Washington  St. 

1851. 


CONSTITUTION 


AMEEICAN  AND  FOREIGN   SABBATH  UNION 


Article  1.— This  Association  shall  be  called,  The  American  and  Foreign 
Sabbath  Union. 

Art.  II. — The  ohject  of  this  Union  shall  be,  by  the  universal  diffusion  of  infor- 
mation, by  united  example  and  kind  moral  influence,  to  endeavor  to  persuade  all 
persons  lo  abstain  from  worldly  business,  traveling  and  amusement,  and  attend  the 
public  worship  of  God  on  the  Lord's  day. 

Art.  III. — All  persons  who  sign  this  Constitution  shall  be  members  of  this 
Union. 

Art.  IV. — Distinguished  friends  of  the  Sabbath,  on  recommendation  of  the 
Executive  Committee,  may  be  elected  as  members  of  this  Union. 

Art.  V. — Clergymen  who  pay  thirty  dollars,  and  laymen  who  pay  fifty  dollars, 
shall  be  honorary  members  of  this  Union. 

Art.  Vt. — The  officers  of  all  local  Sabbath  Unions  formed  on  the  basis  of  this, 
shall  be  members  of  this  Union. 

Art.  Vri. — The  officers  of  this  Union  shall  be  a  President,  Vice  Presidents, 
Secretary,  Recording  Secretary,  Treasurer,  and  Auditor,  who  shall  perform  the 
duties  customarily  assigned  to  such  officers,  and  shall  hold  their  offices  till  others 
are  appointed. 

Art.  VIII. — There  shall  be  an  Executive  Committee  of  five  members,  who  with 
the  Secretaries,  who  shall  be  members,  ex  officio,  shall  direct  and  superintend  the 
concerns  of  this  Union  ;  fill  such  vacancies  as  may  occur  in  iheir  body  between  the 
meetings  of  the  Union,  and  take  such  measures  as  may,  in  their  judgment,  be  best 
adapted  most  extensively  to  accomplish  its  benevolent  object. 

Art.  IX. — The  Secretary,  under  the  direction  of  the  Executive  Committee,  shall 
devote  his  lime  and  attention  to  the  object  of  this  Union.  And  in  the  execution  of 
the  duties  of  his  office,  he  shall  make  appropriate  communications  to  professors  of 
religion  of  every  name  ;  to  professional  men,  and  men  in  public  life;  to  parents 
teachers,  and  guardians  ;  to  youth  of  all  descriptions,  and  especially  such  as  from 
their  situation  are  peculiarly  exposed  to  violations  of  the  Sabbath  ;  and  set  before 
them  the  pernicious  tendency  and  ruinous  consequences  of  this  degrading  and  de- 
structive vice  ;  and  the  great  and  numerous  blessings  which  are  connected  with  the 
due  observance  of  that  day  ;  and  he  shall  labor  in  all  suitable  ways,  in  connection 
with  the  friends  of  this  cause, and  in  reliance  on  the  Divine  blessing,  to  induce  all 
persons  to  abstain  from  ^vorldiy  business,  traveling  and  amusement,  and  to  attend 
the  public  worship  of  God,  on  the  Lord's  day. 

And  the  members  of  this  Union,  would  ever  be  deeply  impressed  with  the  truth, 
that  while  all  appropriate  means  should  be  diligently  and  perseveringly  employed 
for  the  accomplishment  of  this  great  and  good  object,  their  dependence  for  success 
must  be  placed  on  Him  who  is  "  Lord  of  the  Sabbath;"  and  who  can,  through 
human  instrumentality,  cause  it  to  be  remembered  and  kept,  according  to  his  will, 
throughout  the  earth. 

Art.  X. — There  shall  be  an  Annual  Meeting  of  this  Union  to  hear  the  Report  of 
the  Executive  Committee;  appoint  officers;  and  transact  such  business  as  may 
regularly  come  before  it. 

Art.  XI. — This  Constitution  may  be  altered,  on  recommendation  of  the  Execu- 
tive Committee,  by  a  vote  of  two  thirds  of  the  members  present,  at  any  regular 
meeting. 


FIRST 

PERMANENT    DOCUMENT 

OP    THB 

2lmerican  anlr  Joreign  Sabbatl)  Snion. 


^ 


PEINGETON 
BEC.  NOV  1860 
.THEQLG6IC% 


INTENTS 


Page. 

The  Nature  of  Man 3 

The  Object  of  God  in  Creation. 3 
Institutions  established  in  l;*ar- 

adise 4 

Testimony  of  Scripture 5 

Reasons  for  that  Testimony  .  .  .6 
Ends    for    which  the  Sabbath 

was  appointed 7 

The  Nature  and  Design  of  the 

Decalogue 8 

Reason  tor  keeping  the    Sab- 
bath  9 

Effect  of  the  Stillness  of  the 

Sabbath 10 

Influence  of  the  Sabbath  on 

moral  Government 11 

God  our  Preserver  and  Bene- 
factor  12 

God  our  Redeemer 13 

The  Rights  of  God 14 

The  Rights  of  Men 16 

babbath-breaking  dishonest  .  .17 
Nature  and  Object  of  human 

Government 18 

Sailors'  Rights 19 

The  Way  to  support  a  Fam- 
ily   20 

Rights  of  Men  to  Animals  and 

the  Elements 21 

The  Sabbath  based  on  a  natu- 
ral Law 22 

Dr.  Farre's  Testimony 23 

The     Sabbath     necessary    to 

Man 24 

Physicians,   Clergymen,   and 

Senators  destroyed 25 

Testimony  of  Wilberforce 26 

Romilly  and  Castlereagh 27 

The  Financier  and  Merchant. 28 

Dr.  Se wall's  Testimony 28 

Dr.  Mussey's  Testimony 29 

Dr.  Harrison's  Testimony 30 

Dr.  Alden's  Testimony 30 

New  Haven  Medical  Associa- 
tion   31 

Dr.  Warren's  Testimony 31 


Page. 
Physicians  on  the  Erie  Canal. 32 
Experiments  in  England,  the 

United  States,  and  France  .33 
The  Flouring  Establishment.  .34 

The  making  of  Salt 35 

The  Fisheries 36 

Law  of  Nature  with  Regard  to 

Animals 37 

Experiments  with  Horses. . .  .38 
Experiments  with  Cattle  and 

Sheep 39 

Families  on  Journeys 40 

The  Sabbath  made  for  the  Soul  41 

Judge  Hale's  Testimony 42 

Dr.  Wilson's  Testimony 42 

A  Mechanic  in  Massachusetts. 43 
Effect  of  Sabbath-breaking  on 

the  Heart 44 

Auburn  State  Prison 45 

Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal  .46 
One   hundred  thousand  Con- 
victs    47 

Riding  out  for  Pleasure  on  the 

Sabbath 43 

A  distinguished  Merchant  in 

New  York 49 

The    Language  of    Sabbath- 
breaking  50 

Various  Experiments 51 

The  four  Travellers 52 

Passengers  on  board  the  Lex- 
ington   53 

The  Mechanic  and  Master  of 

a  Vessel 54 

An  old  Man  in  Boston 55 

The  Man  who  worked  on  the 

Sabbath 56 

The  Finger  of  God 58 

The     Duty,     Privilege,    and 
Blessedness,  of  Man 59 


Resolutions  adopted  by  nu- 
merous Bodies  of  Men  in 
various  Parts  of  the  United 
States 60 


PBI,IICTSTG1) 
Re'c.  NOV  1880 


PERMANENT  SABBATH  DOCUMENTS. 


Ends  for  which  the  Sabbath  was  appointed,  and 
Reasons  why  it  should  be  observed. 

Man  is  mortal  and  immortal.  His  body  will  soon 
die,  and  mingle  with  the  dust.  His  soul  will  live, 
in  a  state  of  conscious,  intelligent,  moral,  and  ac- 
countable existence,  forever.  Knowledge  is  the  food 
by  which  it  grows  in  piety,  wisdom,  usefulness,  and 
bliss.  Of  all  the  knowledge  of  which  it  is  capable, 
the  knowledge  of  God  and  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the 
most  important.     This  is  life  —  eternal  life. 

One  grand  object  of  Jehovah,  in  all  his  dealings 
with  men,  is  to  manifest  himself,  and  give  to  them 
correct  views  of  his  character  and  will.  This  is 
designed  to  lead  them  to  exercise  right  feelings  and 
pursue  a  right  course  of  conduct  towards  him,  them- 
selves, and  one  another.  By  so  doing,  they  will 
glorify  their  Maker,  benefit  themselves,  and  do  the 
greatest  good  to  their  fellow-men. 

For  this  God  stretched  out  the  heavens,  and  laid 
the  foundations  of  the  earth  ;  created  man,  and  made 
him  lord  of  this  lower  world.  For  this  he  es- 
tablished for  him  various  institutions  and  laws. 
Among  them  was  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath,  or 
a  day  of  weekly  rest  from  secular  business  and  cares, 
of  special  devotion  to  the  public  worship  of  God,  and 


the  promotion  of  the  spiritual  and  eternal  interests 
of  men. 

The  first  great  institution  established  in  Paradise, 
for  the  human  race,  was  that  of  marriage.  This 
lays  the  foundation  for  families,  and  for  social  rela- 
tions among  men.  The  second  great  institution, 
established  also  in  Paradise  for  the  race,  was  that  of 
the  Sabbath.  This  was  designed  to  regulate  fami- 
lies, to  point  out  the  period  for  labor  and  the  period 
for  rest ;  for  the  public  worship  of  God,  and  of  spe- 
cial devotion  to  spiritual  and  eternal  concerns.  So 
important  was  this  arrangement  to  the  glory  of  God 
and  to  the  welfare  of  men,  that  with  reference  to  it 
he  regulated  his  own  conduct  in  the  creation  of  the 
world.  He  wrought  six  days  —  himself.  He  then 
came  out  in  the  face  of  creation,  and  rested  one 
day.  He  thus  gave  to  this  arrangement  of  six  days 
for  labor,  and  one  for  rest,  the  sanction  of  his  high 
and  holy  example.  This  was  the  proportion  which 
would,  in  all  ages,  be  suited  to  the  nature  of  men, 
adapted  to  their  capacities,  and  essential  to  the  sup- 
ply of  their  wants.  With  reference  to  it,  time  itself 
was  to  be  divided,  not  into  days,  or  months,  or  years, 
merely,  or  into  any  periods  measured  by  the  revolu- 
tions of  the  earth  or  the  heavenly  bodies,  but  into 
weeks  —  periods  of  seven  days;  six  for  labor,  and 
one  for  rest  and  special  devotion  to  spiritual  things. 
This  division  of  time,  measured  by  the  conduct  and 
will  of  God,  and  by  the  capacities  and  wants  of 
men,  was,  among  those  who  should  know  and  do 
his  will,  to  be  as  permanent  and  as  universal  as 
though  it  were  measured  by  the  revolutions  of  the 
earth  or  the  heavenly  bodies.  It  was  to  be,  in  all 
ages  and  all  countries,  a  sign  of  the  covenant  be- 
tween God  and  his  people ;  an  emblem  and  a  fore- 
taste of  the  rest  which  remaineth  for  them,  and  a 
special  season  of  preparation  for  its  eternal  joys. 

For  this  reason,  Jehovah  not  only  kept  it  himself, 


but  he  sanctified  it,  or  set  it  apart  from  other  days 
for  this  special  purpose.  He  also  blessed  it,  and  with 
such  a  fulness  of  blessings  that  they  flow  out,  to 
those  who  keep  it,  not  only  on  that  day,  but  through 
all  the  other  days  of  the  week.  They  are  blessed 
in  their  bodies  and  souls,  in  their  going  out  and 
their  coming  in,  and  in  all  their  ways. 

In  the  fifty-eighth  chapter  of  Isaiah  and  thirteenth 
verse,  Jehovah  speaks  as  if  the  keeping  of  the  Sab- 
bath were  obedience,  or  would  promote  obedience,  to 
all  his  commands,  and  thus  insure  his  blessing  :  "If 
thou  turn  away  thy  foot  from  doing  thy  pleasure  on 
my  holy  day,  and  call  the  Sabbath  a  delight,  the 
holy  of  the  Lord,  honorable ;  and  shalt  honor  him, 
not  doing  thine  own  ways,  nor  finding  thine  own 
pleasure,  nor  speaking  thine  own  words ;  then  shalt 
thou  delight  thyself  in  the  Lord  ;  and  I  will  cause 
thee  to  ride  upon  the  high  places  of  the  earth,  and 
feed  thee  with  the  heritage  of  Jacob,  thy  father ; 
for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it," 

In  the  seventeenth  chapter  of  Jeremiah  and  twen- 
ty-first verse,  we  have  an  exhibition  of  the  same 
great  principle  :  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  ;  Take  heed 
to  yourselves,  and  bear  no  burden  on  the  Sabbath 
day,  nor  bring  it  in  by  the  gates  of  Jerusalem.  Neither 
carry  forth  a  burden  out  of  your  houses  on  the  Sab- 
bath day,  neither  do  ye  any  work,  but  hallow  ye  the 
Sabbath  day,  as  I  commanded  your  fathers.  But 
they  obeyed  not,  neither  inclined  their  ear,  but  made 
their  neck  stiff,  that  they  might  not  hear,  nor  receive 
instruction.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  if  ye  dili- 
gently hearken  unto  me,  saith  the  Lord,  to  bring  in 
no  burden  through  the  gates  of  this  city  on  the  Sab- 
bath day,  but  hallow  the  Sabbath  day,  to  do  no  work 
therein ;  then  shall  there  enter  into  the  gates  of  this 
city  kings  and  princes  sitting  upon  the  throne  of  Da- 
vid, riding  in  chariots  and  on  horses,  they  and  their 
princes,  the  men  of  Judah,  and  the  inhabitants  of 
1* 


Jerusalem :  and  this  city  shall  remain  forever.  And 
they  shall  come  from  the  cities  of  Judah,  and  from 
the  places  about  Jerusalem,  and  from  the  land  of 
Benjamin,  and  from  the  plain,  and  from  the  moun- 
tains, and  from  the  south,  bringing  burnt-offerings, 
and  sacrifices,  and  meat-offerings,  and  incense,  and 
bringing  sacrifices  of  praise,  unto  the  house  of  the 
Lord.  But  if  ye  will  not  hearken  unto  me  to  hal- 
low the  Sabbath  day,  and  not  to  bear  a  burden,  even 
entering  in  at  the  gates  of  Jerusalem  on  the  Sabbath 
day  ;  then  will  T  kindle  a  fire  in  the  gates  thereof, 
and  it  shall  devour  the  palaces  of  Jerusalem,  and  it 
shall  not  be  quenched." 

In  the  above  passages  Jehovah  speaks  as  if  the 
keeping  of  the  Sabbath  were  every  thing ;  as  if  it 
comprehended,  or  would  secure,  obedience  to  all  his 
commands.  This,  in  an  important  sense,  is  the  case. 
Such  is  the  nature  of  man,  such  the  institution  of 
the  Sabbath,  and  such  the  effect  which  the  keeping 
of  it  will  have  upon  him,  that,  if  he  is  obedient  to 
God  in  this  thing,  he  will  be  obedient  to  him  in 
other  things.  A  Sabbath-keeping  people  will  be  an 
obedient  people.  The  manner  in  which  they  treat 
the  Sabbath  will  be  a  test  of  their  character,  an 
index  of  their  morality  and  religion.  God  did  not 
think  it  necessary,  therefore,  to  say  to  his  people,  in 
these  passages,  that,  if  they  would  not  commit  mur- 
der, he  would  bless  them ;  or,  if  they  would  not  be 
guilty  of  theft,  he  would  bless  them.  He  knew 
that,  if  they  would  rightly  keep  the  Sabbath,  they 
would  not  commit  murder  or  theft,  or  ordinarily  be 
guilty  of  any  gross  outward  crimes.  Men  who 
regularly  observe  the  Sabbath,  and  habitually  attend 
public  worship,  which  is  a  part  of  the  proper  ob- 
servance of  that  day,  do  not  commit  such  crimes. 
While  they  keep  the  Sabbath,  God  keeps  them;  not 
by  force  or  coercion  of  any  kind,  but  by  the  in- 
fluence of  moral  government,  through  means  of  his 
appointment. 


The  Sabbath  is  the  g?'eat  and  all-pervading 
means  of  giving  efficacy  to  moral  government^  and 
holds  a  relation  to  general  morality  similar  to  that 
which  the  marriage  institution  holds  to  social  purity. 
It  was  designed,  and  is  adapted,  to  lead  people 
statedly  to  rest  from  worldly  business,  cares,  and 
amusements  ;  to  contemplate  Jehovah  as  the  Creator, 
Preserver,  Redeemer,  Benefactor,  Owner,  Governor, 
Judge,  and  Disposer  of  men  ;  to  keep  alive,  and  ren- 
der practically  efficacious,  the  knowledge  of  the  one 
only  living  and  true  God  ;  lead  all  to  worship  and 
adore  him  ;  and  thus  to  experience  the  benefits  of  his 
infinitely  wise,  universal,  and  benevolent  reign. 

Hence  the  reason  which  he  gave  to  his  ancient  peo- 
ple why  they  should  keep  it  —  "that  ye  may  know 
that  I  am  Jehovah."  Had  all  men  properly  kept 
the  Sabbath,  all  would  have  known  Jehovah,  and 
worshipped  him,  from  the  creation  of  the  world  to 
the  present  time,  and  idolatry  never  would  have 
been  practised  on  the  earth.  Hence,  also,  when  the 
wants  of  his  ancient  people  required  that  they  should 
no  longer  depend  upon  oral  communications  merely, 
but  should  have  the  unchanging  laws  by  which 
they  were  to  be  governed  placed  upon  a  permanent 
record, — such  as,  "  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods 
before  me  ;  shalt  not  bow  down  to  graven  images ; 
shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in 
vain  ;  shalt  honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother ;  shalt 
not  kill,  commit  adultery,  steal,  bear  false  witness,  or 
covet,"  —  he  put  this  among  them — "Remember 
the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy  :  in  it  thou  shalt  not 
do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter, 
nor  thy  man-servant,  nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor  thy 
cattle,  nor  the  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates." 
He  placed  this  in  the  midst  of  them ;  and  obedience 
to  it  was  essential,  in  order  to  obedience  to  the  other 
commands.  If  they  would  not  keep  the  Sabbath, 
they  would  not  obey  him  in  other  things.     Sabbath- 


8 

breaking  would  be  treason  against  the  government 
of  Godj  and  open  the  way  for  universal  profligacy 
and  ruin. 

Hence,  as  a  civil  ruler,  he  would  no  more  suffer 
the  Sabbath-breaker  to  live  among  that  people  than 
he  would  the  murderer.  Though  the  penalty  was 
placed  among  the  local  and  temporary  regulations 
of  that  peculiar  people,  was  not  designed  to  be  per- 
manent, and  was  not  written  by  the  finger  of  God 
on  the  tables  of  stone,  yet  the  law  was  written  there  ; 
because  that  was  designed  to  be  permanent.  It  ex- 
pressed an  obligation  which  arose  from  the  nature 
of  man,  and  from  his  relations  to  his  Maker,  and 
which,  as  really  as  the  obligation  expressed  by  the 
other  laws,  would  be  binding  upon  him  through  all 
time. 

It  is  sometimes  said  that,  if  the  law  of  the  Sab- 
bath is  binding  upon  men  now,  then  we  must,  as  the 
Jews  did,  put  the  violators  of  it  to  death,  by  the 
hand  of  the  civil  magistrate.  This  does  not  folloio. 
We  are  not  now,  as  the  Jews  did,  to  put  the  open,  pre- 
sumptuous violators  of  the  first,  or  the  fifth,  or  the 
seventh  command,  to  death.  Yet  are  not  these  com- 
mands binding  upon  men?  Is  it  not  wicked  for  men 
to  have  another  god  before  Jehovah,  to  bow  down  to 
graven  images  and  worship  them,  or  to  dishonor 
their  parents?  All  the  commands  of  the  decalogue 
expressed  obligations  which  were  binding  upon  men 
before  they  were  written  upon  the  tables  of  stone, 
and  which  will  continue  to  be  binding  till  the  end 
of  the  world. 

The  penalty  of  death,  attached  for  a  time  to  the 
violation  of  the  Sabbath,  showed  how  the  Lawgiver 
abhorred  the  crime.  Nor  was  this  abhorrence  with- 
out good  reason.  The  Sabbath-breaker  violated  a 
fundamental  law.  He  proclaimed,  by  actions,  the 
most  impressive  of  all  language  —  "No  God  !  "  and 
thus    produced  the  eflEect  of  practical    atheism  on 


himself  and  on  others.  He  does  this  in  all  ages. 
And  as  long  as  it  will  be  wicked  for  men  in  a  state 
of  probation  to  have  another  god  before  Jehovah, 
to  bow  down  to  graven  images,  to  take  the  name  of 
God  in  vain,  to  dishonor  their  parents,  to  commit 
murder,  adultery,  or  theft,  to  bear  false  witness,  or  to 
covet,  so  long  will  it  be  wicked  for  them  not  to  rest 
from  worldly  business,  cares,  and  amusements,  one 
day  in  seven  ;  for  the  purpose  of  publicly  worship- 
ping Jehovah,  and  promoting  the  spiritual  good  of 
themselves  and  others. 

The  reason  which  God  gave  on  the  tables  of  stone 
for  keeping  the  Sabbath,  was  not  a  Jeioish  reason. 
It  was  one  which  applies  alike  to  all  men.  "  For  in 
six  days  the  Lord  made  the  heavens  and  the  earth, 
the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is."  But  he  did  not 
make  them  for  Jews  merely,  or  for  any  particular 
people.  He  made  them  for  us  and  for  all  men.  As 
a  memorial  of  that  fact,  he  set  apart  the  Sabbath, 
kept  it,  sanctified  and  blessed  it,  for  the  benefit  of 
all.  All  are  bound,  by  keeping  it,  to  acknowledge 
this,  and  to  honor  him  as  the  Creator,  Preserver,  and 
Benefactor ;  and,  as  such,  the  Owner,  Governor,  and 
Disposer,  of  all  things.  The  Sabbath  was  appointed 
for  that  purpose,  and,  as  a  consequence,  to  impress 
on  the  minds  of  men  the  great  truths,  that  "  the 
earth  is  the  Lord's,  and  the  fulness  thereof,  the  world, 
and  they  that  dwell  therein ;  "  that  "  the  silver  and 
the  gold  are  his,"  though  acquired  by  human  indus- 
try, and  "  the  cattle  upon  a  thousand  hills." 

The  earth  is  not  eternal ;  it  did  not  create  itself; 
no  creature  called  it  into  being.  Nor  is  its  existence 
to  be  ascribed  to  chance,  to  idols,  or  to  any  of  the 
false  gods  which  men  have  worshipped.  In  the  be- 
ginning Jehovah  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth. 
And  the  things  which  are  seen  were  not  made  of 
things  which  do  appear.  They  were  literally  cre- 
ated. ''  He  spake,  and  it  was.  He  commanded, 
and  it  stood  fast." 


J" 


io 

The  Sabbath  was  designed  to  make  all  men  feel 
this ;  and  to  lead  them,  by  keeping  it,  publicly  to 
acknowledge,  "Thou,  Lord,  in  the  beginning,  hast 
laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth,  and  the  heavens 
are  the  work  of  thy  hands.  They  shall  perish,  but 
thou  remainest."  And  "  Thine,  O  Lord,  is  the  great- 
ness, and  the  power,  and  the  victory,  and  the  ma- 
jesty ;  for  all  that  is  in  the  heavens  and  the  earth  is 
thine  ;  thine  is  the  kingdom,  O  Jehovah,  and  thou 
art  exalted  as  head  above  all." 

Such  are  some  of  the  truths,  which,  by  the  keep- 
ing of  the  Sabbath,  are  every  week  proclaimed  to 
the  world;  in  a  manner  adapted  to  the  nature  of 
man,  and  suited  to  make  on  him  a  strong  and  last- 
ing impression. 

When,  on  the  morning  of  that  blessed  day,  the 
sun  rises  and  shines  as  brightly  as  on  other  days, 
the  oxen  graze  as  peacefully,  the  lambs  skip  as 
briskly,  and  the  birds  sing  as  sweetly,  yet  no  man 
goes  forth  to  his  labor,  no  shop  door  or  window 
opens,  no  wheel  rattles  on  the  pavement,  or  vessel 
leaves  the  harbor,  no  stage-coach  or  canal-boat 
runs,  no  whistling  or  rumbling  is  heard  on  the  rail- 
road, or  bustle  is  witnessed  in  any  department  of 
secular  business,  but  universal  stillness  reigns 
throughout  creation,  except  as  broken  by  the  voice 
of  prayer  and  praise  ascending  to  its  Author,  that 
stillness  is  the  voice  of  God  to  the  moral  nature  of 
man  ;  his  still,  small,  but  all-pervading  and  mightily- 
efficacious  voice,  proclaiming  his  existence,  his 
character,  and  his  will ;  that  he  is  a  great  God  and 
a  great  King  above  all  gods ;  that  in  his  hand  are 
the  deep  places  of  the  earth,  and  that  the  strength 
of  the  hills  is  his  also ;  that  the  sea  is  his,  for  he 
made  it,  and  his  hands  formed  the  dry  land  ;  that 
he  is  a  God  that  judgeth  in  the  earth,  and  is  not  far 
from  every  one  of  us ;  that  on  him  we  are  depend- 
ent, and  to  him  are  accountable  j  and  that  he  will 


11 

bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with  every  secret 
thing,  whether  it  be  good  or  evil.  And  it  is  a  voice 
which  each  individual  who  is  enlightened,  and  not 
scathed  by  iniquity  till  he  is  twice  dead,  will  hear, 
and  in  some  measure  feel. 

In  proportion  as  he  hearkens  to  it,  and  enters  into 
its  spirit,  he  will  have  a  deeper  and  more  operative 
conviction  of  the  presence  of  God,  and  of  the  near- 
ness, reality,  and  importance,  of  eternal  things.  He 
will  feel  more  solemn,  more  as  if  one  thing  were 
needful,  as  if  the  favor  of  God  were  life,  and  his 
loving  kindness  better  than  life  ;  and  he  will  be 
more  likely  to  say,  '•  O,  come,  let  us  worship  and 
bow  down  ;  let  us  kneel  before  the  Lord  our  Maker; 
for  he  is  our  God,  and  we  are  the  people  of  his  pas- 
ture and  the  sheep  of  his  hand." 

This  was  designed  to  be  the  effect  of  the  still- 
ness of  the  Sabbath,  and  this  is  the  preparation 
which  men  need  when  they  go  to  the  house  of 
God,  and  hear  his  voice  speaking,  through  the  living 
ministry,  to  the  ear,  in  order  to  make  it  like  the 
rain  and  the  snow,  that  come  down  from  heaven, 
and  water  the  earth,  cause  it  to  bring  forth  and  bud, 
that  it  may  give  seed  to  the  sower  and  bread  to  the 
eater.  So,  when  men  rightly  keep  the  Sabbath, 
will  the  word  of  the  Lord  be.  It  will  not  return 
void,  but  will  accomplish  that  which  pleases  him, 
and  prosper  in  the  thing  whereunto  he  sends  it.  In 
the  prophetic  language  of  inspiration,  "  Men  will 
go  out  with  joy,  and  be  led  forth  with  peace;  the 
mountains  and  the  hills  will  break  forth  before 
them  into  singing,  and  all  the  trees  of  the  field  will 
clap  their  hands.  Instead  of  the  thorn  will  come 
up  the  fir-tree,  and  instead  of  the  brier,  the  myrtle- 
tree;  and  it  will  be  to  the  Lord  for  a  name,  and  for 
an  everlasting  sign,  that  shall  not  be  cut  off." 

The  keeping  of  the  Sabbath  makes  God  known, 
gives  efficacy  to  his  moral  government,  increases  th£ 


12 

number  and  fidelity  of  his  subjects^  and  communis 
cateSj  to  a  greater  extent  than  can  otherwise  be  donCj 
the  benefits  of  his  holy  and  perfect  reign. 

The  keeping  of  the  Sabbath  promotes  the  same 
end  in  another  way,  by  directing  attention  to  Je- 
hovah, not  merely  as  the  Creator,  but  as  the  Pre- 
server and  Benefactor,  of  men.  Not  only  is  it  true 
that  "0/  him  are  all  things,"  but  equally  true 
that  "  by  him  are  all  things."  He  is  not  only 
the  Former  of  our  bodies  and  the  Father  of  our 
spirits,  but  "  in  him  we  live,  and  move,  and  have 
our  being."  He  keeps  the  breath  in  our  nostrils, 
the  blood  flowing  in  our  veins,  and  the  spirit  of 
life  within  us.  He  not  only  piled  up  the  moun- 
tains and  scooped  out  the  valleys,  made  the  chan- 
nels for  the  river,  and  the  bed  for  the  sea,  but  he 
maketh  the  grass  to  grow  upon  the  mountains, 
and  the  corn  to  spring  in  the  valleys.  His  rivers 
run  among  the  hills.  He  visiteth  the  earth  and 
watereth  it.  He  maketh  it  soft  with  showers, 
and  he  blesseth  the  springing  of  it.  The  earth  is 
full  of  the  riches  of  his  goodness.  So  is  that  great 
and  wide  sea,  wherein  are  things  creeping  innumer- 
able, and  where  goeth  that  Leviathan  which  he 
hath  made  to  play  therein.  These  all  wait  upon 
him^  and  he  giveth  them  their  meat.  What  he 
giveth,  they,  in  ways  of  his  appointment,  gather. 
And  when  he  withholdeth,  they  die.  He  openeth 
his  hand  and  supplieth  the  wants  of  every  living 
thing.  Of  him  J  and  through  him,  and  to  hi??!,  are 
all  things. 

The  Sabbath  was  designed  to  make  men  feel 
this,  and  lead  them  to  act  accordingly ;  to  treat 
Jehovah  as  their  Maker,  Preserver,  and  Benefactor; 
and  render  to  him  the  obedience  which  their  re- 
lations to  him  require. 

But  to  men  he  has  special  claims,  over  and  above 
those  which  result  from  creation,  preservation,  and 


13 

the  bestowment  of  all  temporal  favors.  When  they, 
by  rebellion,  were  lost, —  when  there  was  no  eye  to 
pity  and  no  arm  to  save, —  then  his  eye  pitied  and  liis 
arm  brought  salvation.  He  laid  help  for  them  jpon 
one  who  was  mighty,  and  who  came  to  take  away 
their  sins  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself.  Though 
he  was  rich,  for  their  sakes  he  became  poor,  that 
they,  through  his  poverty,  might  be  rich.  He  was 
wounded  for  their  transgressions,  and  bruised  for 
their  iniquities.  The  chastisement  of  their  peace 
was  upon  him,  and  by  his  stripes  they  are  healed. 
He  bare  their  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree  ; 
entered  the  holy  place  with  his  blood,  and  ob- 
tained eternal  redemption  for  them.  Nor  did  he 
merely  die  for  their  sins.  He  rose  again  for  their 
justification.  And  he  now  lives,  and  makes  in- 
tercession for  them,  and  offers  them  all  the  bless- 
ings of  his  salvation,  without  money  and  without 
price.  Whosoever  will  may  come  to  him,  and 
them  that  come  he  will  in  no  wise  cast  out. 
Though  their  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  white 
as  snow ;  though  they  be  red  like  crimson,  they 
shall  be  as  wool.  From  all  their  filthiness  and 
their  idols  he  will  cleanse  them.  A  new  heart 
will  he  give  them,  and  a  new  spirit  put  within 
them.  He  will  take  away  the  heart  of  stone, 
and  give  them  a  heart  of  flesh.  He  will  be  their 
God,  and  they  shall  be  his  people. 

Surely  they  are  not  their  own.  They  did 
not  create  themselves.  They  do  not  preserve  them- 
selves. They  are  not  the  authors  of  the  blessings 
which  they  enjoy.  Above  all,  they  "  are  bought 
with  a  price,"  and  "  redeemed  not  with  corrupti- 
ble things,  as  silver,  and  gold,  but  with  the  precious 
blood  of  Christ,"  who  loved  them,  and  gave  him- 
self for  them,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life. 

Such  are  some  of  the  truths  which  the  Sab- 
2 


14 

bath  inculcates.  It  commemorates  the  work  of 
God  J  as  Creator  J  Preserver^  Benefactor,  and  Re- 
deemer. It  is  the  day  which  the  Lord  has  made  for 
this  purpose,  and  which  he  blesses  to  this  end.  It 
also  points  to  a  rising  Saviour,  a  finished  redemp- 
tion, deUverance,  through  grace,  from  an  eternal  hell, 
and  exaltation  to  an  eternal  heaven.  And  it  is  a 
powerful  means  of  leading  men  to  live  not  unto 
themselves,  but  unto  Him  who  died  for  them,  and 
rose  again ;  and  thus  to  glorify  him  in  body  and 
spirit,  which  are  precmiyiently  his. 

They  are  his  by  creation,  his  by  preservation,  and 
his  by  all  the  blessings  which  they  enjoy.  They 
are  his  by  redemption  ;  and  his,  through  the  influence 
of  the  Sabbath  and  its  attendant  means  of  grace, 
they  may  be,  and,  if  not  rejected,  will  be,  by  adop^ 
tion,  and  heirship  to  an  inheritance  incorruptible, 
undefiled,  and  not  to  fade  away. 

Thus  the  Sabbath  was  designed  to  commemorate 
and  enforce  the  rights  of  God  —  those  which  result 
from  creation,  preservation,  and  redemption. 

His  right  to  men,  to  all  which  they  possess,  or 
can  obtain,  and  to  all  things,  is  higher  and  more 
perfect  than  does  or  can  belong  to  any  other  being. 
His  rights  are  original,  independent,  eternal.  His 
are  the  kingdom,  the  power,  and  the  glory.  His 
the  absolute  ownership,  the  rightful  possession,  and 
the  just  final  disposal  of  all  things.  For  he  hath 
created  all,  and  for  his  pleasure  they  are  and  were 
created.  And  his  pleasure  is  always  right,  always 
perfect,  and  promotive  of  the  highest  good  of  all 
who  obey  him. 

One  conclusion  which  results  from  the  above- 
mentioned  truths,  and  to  which  we  invite  universal 
attention,  is,  Whatever  Jehovah  does,  or  suffers  to 
be  done,  he  wrongs  no  one. 

Though  his  way  be  in  the  great  deep,  his  goings 
past  finding  out,  and  the  reasons  of  his  dealings  to 


15 

mortals  are  not  known,  yet  he  has  reasons ;  gooa 
reasons,  the  best  reasons ;  reasons  which,  like  him- 
self, are  perfect,  and  which,  when  published,  will 
lead  all  the  good  to  cry,  "Alleluia!  for  the  Lord 
God  omnipotent  reigneth." 

When  he  lets  the  winds  out  of  his  fists,  and  they 
sweep  the  ocean,  break  the  pride  of  navies,  and  sink 
the  treasures  of  a  thousand  hearts,  he  wrongs  no  one. 
When  he  suffers  a  fire  to  be  kindled,  and  insurers 
and  insured  see  their  all  go  up  in  smoke,  he  wrongs 
no  one. 

If,  with  his  providential  finger,  he  touch  the  cur- 
rency, or  the  commerce  of  a  country,  and  all  is  in 
confusion,  and  the  wise  men,  the  great,  and  the 
mighty  men  who  try  to  adjust  it,  dash  one  against 
anotlier,  like  the  waves  of  the  sea,  and  accumulated 
millions  vanish,  he  wrongs  no  one.  Though  he 
turn  the  fruitful  field  into  a  wilderness,  and  the  mart 
of  nations  into  a  desert,  he  wrongs  no  one.  When 
he  comes  and  lays  his  hand  on  that  little  child  who 
has  just  opened  its  eyes  on  creation,  and  it  closes 
them  and  passes  away,  he  does  not  wrong  even  her 
who  gave  it  birth;  '-for  the  Lord  gave,  and  the 
Lord  hath  taken  "  only  his  own.  And  though  he 
doeth  his  pleasure  in  the  armies  of  heaven,  among 
the  inhabitants  of  earth,  and  with  all  things  through- 
out the  universe,  he  doeth  all  things  well. 

This  the  Sabbath  was  appointed  to  make  men 
feel,  and  lead  them  to  say,  in  view  of  all  that  God 
does,  ''  It  is  the  Lord :  let  him  do  as  seemeth  good 
in  his  sight."  "Though  the  fig-tree  should  not 
blossom,  and  there  be  no  fruit  in  the  vine,  the  labor 
of  the  olive  fail,  and  the  fields  yield  no  meat,  the 
flocks  be  cut  off  from  the  fold,  and  there  be  no  herd 
in  the  stall,  yet  will  I  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  and  joy 
in  the  God  of  my  salvation."  "  Though  he  slay 
me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  /izm." 

Another  conclusion,  which  results  from  the  facts 


16 

above  mentioned,  is,  that  men  have  no  rights  to  any 
thing  hut  those  which  God  gives  them.  Tiieir  rights 
are  derived  and  dependent.  Without  information 
from  the  Giver,  they  would  never  know  what  these 
rights  are.  This  information  he  has  given  in  the 
Bible ;  all  of  which  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God, 
and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  reproof,  correction,  and 
instruction  in  righteousness,  that  men  who  receive 
and  obey  it  may  become  perfect,  and  be  thoroughly 
furnished  unto  all  good  works.  It  shows  them  what 
to  believe,  wherein  they  are  wrong,  and  how  to  re- 
turn to  that  which  is  right.  It  instructs  them  in 
what  is  right,  in  feeling  and  conduct,  toward  God, 
themselves,  and  their  fellow-men  ;  and  it  sets  before 
them  the  highest  motives  to  do  it.  It  is  the  voice 
of  God  to  the  soul,  testifying  words  by  which  it 
may  be  enlightened,  sanctified,  and  saved. 

For  this  reason  every  person  should  oion  a  copy 
search  it  daily  as  the  word  of  God,  with  earnest  sup- 
plication for  the  teaching  of  his  Spirit ;  and  as  they 
know  his  will,  they  should  do  it.  They  will  then 
know  the  truth,  and  the  truth  will  make  them  free. 
God  will  shine  into  their  minds,  and  give  them  the 
light  of  the  knowledge  of  his  glory  in  the  face  of 
Jesus  Christ.  In  his  light  they  will  see  light,  and 
will  become  light  in  the  Lord.  They  will  know 
him,  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  he  has  sent,  and  will 
let  the  light  of  holiness  so  shine  that  others  will  be 
led  to  glorify  their  Father  in  heaven. 

They  will  also  know  their  rights,  learn  the  way 
to  exercise  them  to  the  mutual  good  of  all,  and  be 
disposed  to  take  that  way.  And  they  will  hnoio  that 
the  right  to  work  seveji  days  in  a  week  is  not  one 
of  them.  That  right  God  never  gave.  That  right 
no  man  ever  had.  That  right  no  man  can  get. 
Human  governments  cannot  give  it.  It  was  never 
given  to  them.  They  do  not  possess  it.  They 
cannot  obtain  it,  nor  can  they  bestow  it  upon  others. 


17 

Then  will  all  men  know,  too,  that  if  any  one,  in 
the  government  or  out  of  the  government,  takes 
seven  days  each  week  for  secular  business  and  gain, 
he  does  it  lu holly  without  right. 

For  such  purposes  the  Sabbath  w£is  not  made  or 
given  to  man.  It  is  not  theirs.  And  an  honest 
man  will  not  knowingly  take  what  is  not  his.  He 
will  be  content  with  that  which  belongs  to  him, 
and  will  conscientiously  abstain  from  taking  more. 
The  Sabbath,  for  secular  business  and  gain,  belongs 
to  no  man,  and  no  honest  man,  who  knows  this, 
will  take  it.     This  should  be  understood  by  all. 

As  the  Bible  and  the  knowledge  of  facts  are  dis- 
seminated, and  the  will  of  God  made  known,  it  will 
be  understood,  through  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  country,  and  throughout  the  world.  Honest 
men,  who  know  the  truth  in  regard  to  the  Sabbath, 
will  act  accordingly.  They  are  doing  it  to  a  great 
extent  now.  The  manner  in  which  men  treat  the 
Sabbath  is  developing  their  character,  and  showing 
whether  they  are  contented  with  the  periods  of  labor 
which  belong  to  them,  or  are  disposed  to  take  more. 
If  they  are  intelligently  disposed  to  take  more,  they 
are  not,  at  heart,  honest  men. 

To  six  days,  for  secular  business,  men  have  a 
right.  God  has  given  it.  "  Six  days  shalt  thou 
labor,  and  do  all  thy  work."  Why  must  men  do 
ail  their  work  in  six  days  of  the  week  ?  Because 
there  are  no  more  days,  in  which  to  work.  God 
never  made  but  six  working  days.  He  never  gave 
any  more.     No  man  has  any  more. 

Yet  another  day  is  added  to  every  week.  To 
that,  also,  every  man  has  a  right,  for  the  purpose 
for  which  it  was  made.  He  has  a  right  to  rernemr 
her  it ;  that,  at  such  a  time,  it  will  come  ;  and  to  order 
all  his  worldly  concerns  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be 
prepared  for  it.  When  it  comes,  he  has  a  right  to 
keep  it  holy  to  the  Lord  ;  not  as  a  day  of  worldly 
2* 


18 

business ;  but  as  a  day  of  rest,  and  of  special  devo- 
tion to  the  worship  of  God  and  to  the  spiritual  good 
of  men.  This  is  the  right  of  the  jooor,  as  really  as 
of  the  rich  ;  of  servants,  as  well  as  of  masters.  Ail 
have  a  right  to  labor  six  days  in  a  week,  because 
God  has  given  it.  All  have  a  right  to  rest  one  day 
in  seven,  because  God  has  given  that.  His  com- 
mand is,  ''  Remember  the  Sabbath  day,  and  I<eep 
it  holy.  In  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work  ;  thou, 
nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  nor  thy  man-servant, 
nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor  thy  cattle,  nor  the  stranger 
that  is  within  thy  gates  ;  "  and  all  men  have  a  right, 
and  it  is  their  duty,  to  obey  him. 

This  right  does  not  come  from  men.  It  comes 
from  God.  Like  the  right  to  live,  to  see  the  sun, 
and  breathe  the  air,  it  vests  in  humanity,  and  is  in- 
alieiiahle.  No  human  government  gave  it,  and  no 
human  government,  without  deep  injustice,  can  take 
it  away. 

Though  government  is  an  ordinance  of  God,  and 
magistrates  are  his  ministers,  designed  to  be  a  terror 
to  evil-doers,  and  a  praise  to  them  that  do  well,  yet 
it  was  not  instituted  to  give  rights,  but  to  guard 
them ;  to  protect  men  in  the  enjoyment  of  them, 
and  in  the  proper  application  of  them  to  the  con- 
cerns of  this  life.  The  right  to  keep  the  Sabbath 
lies  back  of  human  government,  and  rests  on  the 
same  foundation  with  government  itself;  namely, 
the  revealed  will  of  God,  and  the  wants  of  the  hu- 
man family. 

There  is  not  a  laborer  on  the  canal,  or  railroad, 
in  the  manufactory  or  workshop,  or  in  any  depart- 
ment of  worldly  business,  who  has  not  a  right,  when 
the  Sabbath  comes,  to  keep  it  holy  to  the  Lord ;  to 
worship  him,  and  promote  the  spiritual  good  of  men. 
This  right  is  understood,  asserted,  and  maintained, 
by  increasing  numbers.  The  crew  of  a  vessel  in 
one  of  our  harbors  was  ordered  by  the  captain  to 


19 

labor  on  the  Sabbath,  in  preparation  for  a  voyage. 
They  refused,  assigning  as  a  reason  their  right  to 
rest  on  the  Sabbath  while  in  the  harbor,  and  to  at- 
tend to  the  appropriate  duties  of  that  day.  The 
captain  dismissed  them,  and  attempted  to  procure 
another  crew.  He  apphed  to  numbers  who  refused. 
He  then  met  an  old  sailor,  and  asked  him  if  he 
would  ship.  He  said,  ''  No  !  "  "  AVhy  not  ?  "  said 
the  captain.  ''  Because,"  said  the  sailor,  "  the  man 
who  will  rob  the  Almighty  of  his  day,  I  should  be 
afraid,  would,  if  he  could,  rob  me  of  my  wages." 
The  captain  could  not  find  a  crew,  and  on  Monday 
was  glad  to  take  the  old  one.  They  engaged  again, 
and  showed  by  their  conduct,  that  the  keeping  of 
the  Sabbath  had  fitted  them  the  better  for  the  duties 
of  the  week. 

A  man  was  applied  to,  and  off*ered  a  large  salary, 
to  superintend  the  running  of  the  cars  on  a  railroad. 
He  consented  to  take  the  office  on  condition  that  no 
cars  should  run  on  the  Sabbath.  This  caused  the 
board  of  directors  to  discuss  the  question  whether 
they  should  confine  the  running  of  the  cars  to  the 
six  working  days.  A  part  were  in  favor  of  it ;  but 
two,  who  were  very  rich,  were  opposed  to  it,  and 
had  sufficient  influence  to  turn  the  vote  the  wrong 
way.  The  man  refused  to  accept  the  office.  "  It 
will  not  do  for  me,"  said  he,  "to  work  on  the  Sab- 
bath. I  know  how  it  will  end.  I  have  seen  it 
tried,  till  I  am  satisfied.  It  is  the  way  to  fail  and 
come  to  nothing."  Soon  after,  one  of  those  rich 
men  did  fail.  The  other  died.  Did  either  of  them 
receive  any  lasting  benefit  from  the  running  of  their 
cars  on  the  Sabbath  ?  And  do  men  ordinarily,  on 
the  whole,  gain  any  thing  valuable  in  that  way? 

Another  man,  who  had  been  accustomed  to  go 
with  the  cars  on  week  days,  informed  his  wife  that 
he  had  been  requested  to  go  Avith  the  cars  on  the 
Sabbath.     She  replied,  "  I  take  it  for  granted  that 


^ 


you  do  not  intend  to  go."  Such  was  her  confidence 
m  her  husband,  that  she  took  it  for  granted  that  he 
would  not  do  a  wicked  thing  for  money.  He  told 
her  that,  if  he  should  not  go,  he  might  lose  his 
place  ;  that  he  had  no  other  employment,  the  times 
were  hard,  and  he  had  a  family  to  support.  "I 
know  it,"  said  she,  "  but  I  hope  you  Avill  not  forget 
that,  if  a  man  cannot  support  a  family  by  keeping 
the  Sabbath,  he  certainly  cannot  support  them  by 
breaking  it  "  —  a  sentence  which  ought  to  be  written 
in  letters  of  gold,  and  held  up  to  the  view  of  all 
I  Christendom.  If  a  ma7i  cannot  support  a  family  hy 
I  keeping  the  Sabbath,  he  certainly  ca7inot  support 
them  by  breaking  it.  "  I  am  very  glad,"  said  the 
man,  ''that  you  think  so.  I  think  so  myself.  That 
was  what  I  wanted  —  to  see  whether  we  think 
alike."  He  told  the  superintendent  that  he  liked  his 
situation,  and  should  be  very  sorry  to  lose  it,  but 
that  he  could  not  go  with  the  mail  on  the  Sabbath  ; 
that  he  wished  to  attend  public  worship,  and  go  with 
his  children  to  the  Sabbath  school.  He  did  not 
lose  his  place,  nor  did  he  suffer  in  a  pecuniary  point 
of  view.  He  prospered  more  than  before,  and  lives 
to  bear  his  testimony,  not  only  to  the  duty,  but  to 
the  utility,  even  for  this  world,  of  keeping  the  Sab- 
bath. The  prospects  of  children  whose  parents  go 
regularly  with  them  to  the  house  of  God  on  the  Sab- 
bath, are  far  different  from  those  of  children  whose 
parents  go  with  the  rail-cars,  or  engage  in  secular 
business  on  that  day.  The  Lord  visits  the  iniquities 
of  the  fathers  upon  the  children  to  the  third  and 
fourth  generation  of  those  who  hate  him,  and  shows 
mercy  to  thousands  of  those  who  love  him  and 
keep  his  commandments.  In  the  way  of  righteous- 
ness there  is  life,  and  in  the  pathway  thereof  there 
is  no  death. 

There  is   a  sense  in  which,  under  God,  a  man 
owns  himself.     But  he  has  no  such  title  even  to 


21 

himself,  as  gives  him  a  right  to  employ  himself  m 
worldly  business  on  the  Sabbath.  That  right  was 
not  given,  when  his  body  and  soul  were  given. 
When  a  man  buys  a  horse  he  owns  him.  But  ho 
has  no  such  title  as  gives  him  a  right  to  use  the 
horse  in  secular  business  on  the  Sabbath.  That 
right  was  not  given,  when  the  horse  was  given.  A 
man  raises  an  ox  on  his  farm  ;  but  that  gives  him 
no  right  to  employ  the  beast  in  worldly  business  on 
the  Sabbath.  That  right  was  not  given,  when  the 
beast  was  given.  On  the  contrary,  that  right  was 
expressly  withheld  by  the  Maker  and  Owner  of  the 
beast.  Though  the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot  con- 
tain him,  yet  he  cares  even  for  oxen^  and  provides 
for  their  wants.  He  has  guarantied  to  them  one 
day  of  rest  in  seven,  and  he  will  not  suffer  any  one 
to  deprive  them  of  it  with  impunity. 

Men  have  a  right  to  fire  and  to  water.  But  it  is 
only  for  the  purposes  for  which  those  elements  were 
made.  A  man  has  no  such  right  to  fire  that  he 
may  throw  it  into  his  neighbor's  building.  He  has 
no  such  right  to  water  that  he  may  drown  his 
neighbor's  child  in  it.  And  he  has  no  such  right  to 
fire,  or  water,  as  makes  it  proper  to  kindle  the  one, 
or  raise  the  steam  of  the  other,  to  run  a  rail-car  on 
the  Sabbath,  for  purposes  of  worldly  gain.  That 
right  was  not  given,  when  the  fire  and  water  were 
given.  Nor  was  the  wind  given  to  take  a  vessel 
from  the  harbor  on  the  Sabbath,  carrying  the  sailors 
away  from  the  house  of  God  and  all  the  means  of 
grace,  for  the  purpose  of  making  money.  And 
men  have  no  moral  right  to  employ  it  for  that  end. 

They  have  no  right  to  the  elements,  or  the 
animals,  except  for  the  purposes  for  which  they 
were  made  and  given  to  men.  To  be  employed 
in  secular  business  on  the  Sabbath  is  not  one  of 
those  purposes.  No  man  has  a  right  so  to  em- 
ploy them,  and  if  he  does  so,  it  is  wholly  without 


22 

right.  It  is  also  in  opposition  to  an  express  statute, 
written,  by  the  finger  of  God,  on  tables  of  stone, 
among  the  permanent,  unchanging  laws  of  his  king- 
dom, which  will  be  binding,  in  their  spirit,  upon  all 
who  shall  know  them,  in  all  countries,  to  the  end 
of  time. 

It  is  in  opposition  to  another  laio  ;  not  merely  to 
that  which  was  writte7i  o?i  the  tables  of  stone,  but 
to  a  laio  written,  by  the  finger  of  God,  07i  the  na- 
ture of  both  man  and  beast.  They  loere  not  made 
for  seven  days^  labor  m  a  loeek,  and  they  cannot  en- 
dure it,  without  lesse?iing  their  health  and  shorten- 
ing their  lives. 

The  sabbatical  institution  is  not  a  positive,  or 
moral  institution  merely.  It  is  based  upon  a  7iatu- 
ral  law.  And  if  it  is  the  duty  of  laboring  men 
not  to  commit  suicide,  it  is  their  duty  to  keep  the 
Sabbath. 

In  the  year  1832,  the  British  House  of  Commons 
appointed  a  committee  to  investigate  the  effects  of 
laboring  seven  days  in  a  week,  compared  with  those 
of  laboring  only  six,  and  resting  one.  That  com- 
mittee consisted  of  Sir  Andrew  Agnew,  Sir  Robert 
Peel,  Sir  Robert  Inglis,  Sir  Thomas  Baring,  Sir 
George  Murray,  Fowell  Buxton,  Lord  Morpeth, 
Lord  Ashley,  Lord  Viscount  Sandon,  and  twenty 
other  members  of  Parliament.  They  examined  a 
great  number  of  witnesses,  of  various  professions 
and  employments.  Among  them  was  John  Richard 
Farre,  M.  D.,  of  London;  of  whom  they  speak  as 
"  an  acute  and  experienced  physician."  The  fol- 
lowing is  his  testimony  :  — 

"  I  have  practised  as  a  physician  between  thirty 
and  forty  years;  and,  during  the  early  part  of  my 
life,  as  the  physician  of  a  public  medical  institution, 
I  had  charge  of  the  poor  in  one  of  the  most  popu- 
lous districts  of  London.  I  have  had  occasion  to 
observe  the  effect  of  the  observance  and  non-obser- 


23 

Vance  of  the  seventh  day  of  rest  during  this  time. 
I  have  been  in  the  habit,  during  a  great  many  years, 
of  considering  the  uses  of  the  Sabbath,  and  of 
observing  its  abuses.  The  abuses  are  chiefly  mani- 
fested in  labor  and  dissipation.  Its  nse,  medically 
speaking,  is  that  of  a  day  of  rest.  As  a  day  of 
rest,  I  view  it  as  a  day  of  compensation  for  the  in- 
adequate restorative  power  of  the  body  under  coji- 
tiniied  labor  and  excitement.  A  physician  always 
has  respect  to  the  preservation  of  the  restorative 
power ;  because,  if  once  this  be  lost,  his  healing 
oflice  is  at  an  end.  A  physician  is  anxious  to  pre- 
serve the  balance  of  circulation,  as  necessary  to  the 
restorative  power  of  the  body.  The  ordinary  exer- 
tions of  man  run  down  the  circulation  every  day 
of  his  life  ;  and  the  first  general  law  of  nature,  by 
which  God  prevents  man  from  destroying  himself, 
is  the  alternating  of  day  and  night,  that  repose  may 
succeed  action.  But,  although  the  night  appa- 
rently equalizes  the  circulation,  yet  it  does  not 
sufficiently  restore  its  balance  for  the  attainment  of 
a  long  life.  Hence,  one  day  in  seven,  by  the 
bounty  of  Providence,  is  thrown  in  as  a  day  of 
compensation,  to  perfect,  by  its  repose,  the  animal 
system.  You  may  easily  determine  this  question, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  by  trying  it  on  beasts  of  burden. 
Take  that  fine  animal,  the  horse,  and  work  him  to 
the  full  extent  of  his  powers  every  day  in  the 
week,  or  give  him  rest  one  day  in  seven,  and  you 
will  soon  perceive,  by  the  superior  vigor  with 
which  he  performs  his  functions  on  the  other  six 
days,  that  this  rest  is  necessary  to  his  Avell-being. 
Man,  possessing  a  superior  nature,  is  borne  along  by 
the  very  vigor  of  his  mind,  so  that  the  injury  of 
continued  diurnal  exertion  and  excitement  on  his 
animal  system  is  not  so  immediately  apparent  as  it 
is  in  the   brute;  but,  in  the  long  run,   he   breaks 


u 

down  more  suddenly ;  it  abridges  the  length  of  his 
life,  and  that  vigor  of  his  old  age  which  (as  to  mere 
animal  power)  ought  to  be  the  object  of  his  preser- 
vation. I  consider,  therefore,  that,  in  the  bountiful 
provision  of  Providence  for  the  preservation  of 
human  life,  the  sabbatical  appointment  is  not,  as 
it  has  been  sometimes  theologically  viewed,  simply 
a  precept  partaking  of  the  nature  of  a  political 
institution,  but  that  it  is  to  be  numbered  amongst 
the  7iatural  duties,  if  the  preservation  of  life  be 
admitted  to  be  a  duty,  and  the  premature  destruc- 
tion of  it  a  suicidal  act.  This  is  said  simply  as  a 
physician,  and  without  reference  at  all  to  the  theo- 
logical question ;  but  if  you  consider  further  the 
proper  effects  of  real  Christianity,  namely,  peace  of 
mind,  confiding  trust  in  God,  and  good-will  to  man, 
you  will  perceive  in  this  source  of  renewed  vigor  to 
the  mind,  and  through  the  mind  to  the  body,  an 
additional  spring  of  life  imparted  from  this  higher 
use  of  the  Sabbath  as  a  holy  rest.  Were  I  to  pur- 
sue this  part  of  the  question,  I  should  be  touching 
on  the  duties  committed  to  the  clergy :  but  this  I 
will  say,  —  that  researches  in  physiology,  by  the 
analogy  of  the  working  of  Providence  in  nature, 
will  show  that  the  divine  commandment  is  not  to  be 
considered  as  an  arbitrary  enactment,  but  as  an 
appointment  necessary  to  man.  This  is  the  position 
in  which  I  would  place  it,  as  contradistinguished 
from  precept  and  legislation  ;  I  would  point  out  the 
sabbatical  rest  as  necessary  to  man,  and  that  the 
great  enemies  of  the  Sabbath,  and  consequently  the 
enemies  of  man,  are,  all  laborious  exercises  of  the 
body  or  mind,  and  dissipation,  which  force  the  cir- 
culation on  that  day  in  which  it  should  repose  ; 
while  relaxation  from  the  ordinary  cares  of  life,  the 
enjoyment  of  this  repose  in  the  bosom  of  one's 
family,  with  the  religious  studies  and  duties  which 


^ 


the  day  enjoins,  —  not  one  of  which,  jf  rightly  ex- 
ercised, tends  to  abridge  life, —  constitute  the  bene- 
ficial and  appropriate  service  of  the  day. 

''  I  have  found  it  essential  to  my  own  well-being,  ./ 

as  a  physician,  to  abridge  my  labor  on  the  Sabbath  JsJ^ 

to  what   is  actually   necessary.     I  have  frecjuently    /^. ;  / 
observed  the  premature  death  of  medical  men  from    "^ 

continued  exertion.     In  warm  climates  and  in  active ^ 

service  this  is  painfully  apparent.     I  have  adviseH  \^\ 

the  clergyman  also,  in  lieu  of  his  Sabbath,  to  rest  |  J^iX^ 
one  day  in  the  week ;  it  forms  a  continual  prescrip- 
tion of  mine.  I  have  seen  many  destroyed  by  their 
duties  on  that  day ;  and  to  preserve  others,  I  have  ; 
frequently  suspended  them,  for  a  season,  from  thej 
discharge  of  those  duties.  I  would  say,  further, 
that,  quitting  the  grosser  evils  of  mere  animal  living 
from  over-stimulation  and  undue  exercise  of  body, 
the  working  of  the  mind  in  one  continued  train  of 
thought  is  destructive  of  life  \w  the  most  distin- 
guished class  of  society,  and  that  senators  them- 
selves stand  in  need  of  reform  in  that  particular.  I 
have  observed  many  of  them  destroyed  by  neglect- 
ing this  economy  of  life.  Therefore,  to  all  men,  of 
whatever  class,  who  must  necessarily  be  occupied 
six  days  in  the  week,  I  would  recommend  to  abstain 
on  the  seventh  ;  and,  in  the  course  of  life,  by  giving 
to  their  bodies  the  repose,  and  to  their  minds  the 
change  of  ideas,  suited  to  the  day,  they  would  as- 
suredly gain  by  it.  In  fact,  by  the  increased  vigor 
imparted,  more  mental  work  would  be  accom- 
plished in  their  lives.  A  human  being  is  so  con- 
stituted that  he  needs  a  day  of  rest  both  from 
mental  and  bodily  labor." 

Such  is  the  opinion   of   this  distinguished  man. 

Nor  is  it  peculiar  to  him.     Other  physicians  of  great 

eminence,  and  in  great  numbers,  have  expressed  the 

same ;  and  facts  show  that  this  opinion  is  correct, 

3 


m 

Men  who  labor  seven  days  in  a  week  are  not  as 
healthy,  and  do  not  ordinarily  live  as  long  as  those 
who  work  but  six,  and  rest  one.  Many  a  man  has 
lost  his  reason  and  his  life,  who,  had  he  kept  the 
Sabbath,  might  have  continued  to  enjoy  them. 

The  celebrated  Wilberforce  ascribes  his  continu- 
ance for  so  long  a  time,  under  such  a  pressure  of 
cares  and  labors,  in  no  small  degree,  to  his  conscien- 
tious and  habitual  observance  of  the  Sabbath.  "  O 
what  a  blessed  day,"  he  says,  ''is  the  Sabbath, 
which  allows  us  a  precious  interval  wherein  to 
pause,  to  come  out  from  the  thickets  of  worldly  con- 
cerns, and  give  ourselves  up  to  heavenly  and  spirit- 
ual objects.  Observation  and  iny  own  experience 
have  convinced  me  that  there  is  a  special  blessing  on 
a  right  employment  of  these  iiitcrvals.  One  of  their 
prime  objects,  in  my  judgment,  is,  to  strengthen  our 
impressions  of  invisible  things,  and  to  induce  a 
habit  of  living  much  under  their  influence."  "  O, 
what  a  blessing  is  Sunday,  interposed  between  the 
waves  of  worldly  business,  like  the  divine  path  of 
the  Israelites  through  Jordan."  "  Blessed  be  God, 
who  hath  appointed  the  Sabbath,  and  interposed 
these  seasons  of  recollection."  "  It  is  a  blessed  thing 
to  have  the  Sunday  devoted  to  God."  "  There  is 
nothing  in  which  I  would  recommend  you  to  be 
more  strictly  conscientious  than  in  keeping  the  Sab- 
bath holy.  By  this  I  mean  not  only  abstaining 
from  all  unbecoming  sports,  and  common  business, 
but  from  consuming  time  in  frivolous  conversation, 
paying  or  receiving  visits,  which,  among  relations, 
often  leads  to  a  sad  waste  of  this  precious  day.  I 
can  truly  declare  that  to  me  the  Sabbath  has  been 
invaluable.^^ 

In  writing  to  his  friend,  he  says,  "  I  am  strongly 
impressed  by  the  recollection  of  your  endeavor  to 
prevail  upon  the  lawyers  to  give  up  Sunday  consul- 
tations, in  which  poor  Romilly  would  not  concur." 


27 

What  became  of  this  same  poor  Romilly,*  who 
would  not  consent,  even  at  the  solicitation  of  his 
friend,  to  give  up  Sunday  consultations?  He  lost 
his  reason,  and  terminated  his  own  life.  Pour  years 
afterwards,  Castlereagh  came  to  the  same  untimely 
end.  When  Wilberforce  heard  of  it,  he  exclaimed, 
"Poor  fellow!  He  was  certainly  deranged  —  the 
effect,  probably,  of  continued  Avear  of  mind.  The 
strong  impression  on  my  mind  is,  that  it  is  the  effect 
of  the  non-ohsei^vance  of  the  Sabbath;  both  as  to 
abstracting  from  politics,  and  from  the  constant  re- 
curring of  the  same  reflections,  and  as  correcting 
the  false  views  of  worldly  things,  and  bringing  them 
down  to  their  true  diminutiveness. 

"  Poor  Castlereagh  !  He  was  the  last  man  in  the 
world  who  appeared  to  be  likely  to  be  carried  away 
into  the  commission  of  such  an  act ;  so  cool,  so  self- 
possessed."  "It  is  curious  to  hear  the  newspapers 
speaking  of  incessant  application  to  business  ;  forget- 
ting that  by  the  weekly  admission  of  a  day  of  rest, 
which  our  Maker  has  enjoined,  our  faculties  would 
be  preserved  from  the  effect  of  this  constant  strain." 
Being  reminded  again,  by  the  death  of  Castlereagh, 
of  the  case  of  Sir  Samuel  Romilly,  he  said,  "If  he 
had  suffered  his  mind  to  enjoy  such  occasional  re- 
mission, it  is  highly  probable  that  the  strings  of  life 
would  never  have  snapped  from  over-tension.  Alas ! 
alas  !     Poor  fellow  !  " 

Well  might  Dr.  Farre  say,  "  The  working  of  mind 
in  one  continued  train  of  thought  is  destructive  of 
life  in  the  most  distinguished  class  of  society;  and 
senators  themselves  need  reform  in  that  particular. 
I  have  observed  many  of  them  destroyed  by  neg- 
lecting this  economy  of  life." 

A  distinguished  financier,  charged  with  an  im- 
mense amount  of  property  during  the  great  pecuni- 

*  Sir  Samuel  Romilly,   solicitor-general  of  England  during  the 
administration  of  Fox,  who  terminated  his  life  November  2,  1818. 


2$' 

ary  pressure  of  1836  and  '37,  said,  ^'  I  should  have 
been  a  dead  man,  had  it  not  been  for  the  Sabbath. 
Obhged  to  work  from  morning  till  night,  through 
the  whole  week,  I  felt  on  Saturday,  especially 
Saturday  afternoon,  as  if  I  rnnst  have  rest.  It  was 
hke  going  into  a  dense  fog.  Every  thing  looked 
dark  and  gloomy,  as  if  nothing  could  be  saved.  I 
dismissed  all,  and  kept  the  Sabbath  in  the  good  old 
way.  On  Monday  it  was  all  bright  sunshine.  I 
could  see  through,  and  I  got  through.  But  had  it 
not  been  for  the  Sabbath,  I  have  no  doubt  I  should 
have  been  in  the  grave." 

A  distinguished  merchant,  who,  for  the  last  twenty 
years,  has  done  a  vast  amount  of  business,  remarked 
to  the  writer,  "  Had  it  not  been  for  the  Sabbath,  I 
have  no  doubt  I  should  have  been  a  maniac  long 
ago."  This  was  mentioned  in  a  company  of  mer- 
chants, when  one  remarked,  "  That  is  the  case  ex- 
actly with  Mr. .     He  was  one  of  our  greatest 

importers.  He  used  to  say  that  the  Sabbath  was  the 
best  day  in  the  week  to  plan  successful  voyages; 
showing  that  his  mind  had  no  Sabbath.  He  has 
been  in  the  Insane  Hospital  for  years,  and  will  prob- 
ably die  there."  Many  men  are  there,  or  in  the 
maniac's  grave,  because  they  had  no  Sabbath.  They 
broke  a  law  of  nature,  and  of  nature's  God,  and 
found  ''  the  way  of  transgressors  to  be  hard."  Such 
cases  are  so  numerous  that  a  British  writer  remarks, 
"  We  never  knew  a  man  work  seven  days  in  a 
week,  who  did  not  kill  himself,  or  kill  his  mind." 

Thomas  Sewall,  M.  D.,  professor  of  pathology  and 
the  practice  of  medicine  in  the  Columbian  College, 
Washington,  D.  C,  remarks,  "While  I  consider  it 
the  more  important  design  of  the  institution  of  the 
Sabbath  to  assist  in  religious  devotion  and  advance 
man's  spiritual  welfare,  I  have  long  held  the  opinion 
that  one  of  its  chief  benefits  has  reference  to  his 
physical  and  intellectual  constitution  ;  affording  him, 


29 

as  it  does,  one  day  in  seven  for  the  renovation  of  his 
exhausted  energies  of  body  and  mind ;  a  proportion 
of  time  small  enough,  according  to  the  results  of  my 
observation,  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  object. 
I  have  remarked,  as  a  general  fact,  that  those  to 
whom  the  Sabbath  brings  the  most  entire  rest  from 
their  habitual  labors,  perform  the  secular  duties  of 
the  week  more  vigorously,  and  better  than  those 
who  continue  them  without  intermission.  For  a 
number  of  years,  I  have  been  in  close  intimacy  and 
intercourse  with  men  in  public  life,  officers  of  the 
government,  and  representatives  in  the  national  legis- 
lature, and  eminent  jurists,  whose  labors  are  gener- 
ally great,  and  whose  duties  are  arduous  and  pressing. 
Some  of  them  have  considered  it  their  privilege,  as 
well  as  their  duty,  to  suspend  their  public  func- 
tions, while  others  have  continued  them  to  the  going 
down  of  the  Sabbath  sun.  Upon  the  commence- 
ment of  the  secular  week,  the  one  class  arise  with 
all  their  powers  invigorated  and  refreshed,  while  the 
other  come  to  their  duties  with  body  and  mind 
jaded  and  out  of  tone.  1  have  no  hesitation  in  de- 
claring it  as  my  opinion  that,  if  the  Sabbath  were 
universally  observed,  as  a  day  of  devotion  and  of 
rest  from  secular  occupations, /ar  more  work  of  body 
and  mhid  would  he  accomplished,  and  be  better  done; 
more  health  loould  be  enjoyed,  with  more  of  wealth 
and  independence,  and  we  should  have  far  less  of 
crime,  and  poverty,  aiid  suffering.^ ^ 

Reuben  D.  Mussey,  M.  D.,  professor  of  surgery  in 
the  Ohio  Medical  College,  remarks,  "  The  Sabbath 
should  be  regarded  as  a  most  beiievolent  institution, 
adapted  alike  to  the  physical,  mental,  and  moral 
wants  of  man.  The  experiment  has  been  made 
with  animals,  and  the  value  of  one  day's  rest  in 
seven,  for  those  that  labor,  in  recruiting  their  ener- 
gies and  prolonging  their  activity,  has  been  estab- 
lished beyond  a  doubt.  In  addition  to  constant 
3* 


30 

bodily  labor,  the  corroding  influence  of  incessant 
mental  exertion  and  solicitude  cannot  fail  to  induce 
premature  decay,  and  to  shorten  life.  And  there 
cannot  be  a  reasonable  doubt,  that,  under  the  due  ob- 
servance of  the  Sabbath,  life  would,  on  the  average, 
be  prolonged  more  than  one  seventh  of  its  whole 
period ;    that  is,  more   than   seven   years   in  fifty." 

John  P.  Harrison,  M.  D.,  professor  of  materia  med- 
ica  in  the  same  institution,  adds,  ''  The  Sabbath  was 
made  for  man.  This  truth  is  forcibly  exemplified 
m  the  benefits  conferred  on  the  bodies  of  men  by  a 
proper  observance  of  God's  holy  day  of  rest.  Inces- 
sant, uninterrupted  toil  wears  out  the  energies  of 
man's  limited  strength.  The  elasticity  of  the  spring 
is  destroyed  by  unabated  pressure.  The  nervous  sys- 
tem is  especially  relieved  by  alternations  of  activity 
and  repose,  and  by  diversification  of  impressions. 
The  sacred  quietness  of  the  Sabbath  takes  ofi*  from 
the  brain  that  excessive  fulness  of  blood  which 
the  mental  and  bodily  exercise  of  six  days  is  calcu- 
lated to  produce.  The  change  of  dress,  the  social 
worship,  the  physical  rest,  and  the  transfer  of  thought 
and  feeling  from  earthly  interests  to  higher  objects, 
not  only  harmonize  the  moral,  but  they  refresh  and 
invigorate  the  bodily  powers.  All  experience  is  ex- 
pressive of  this  universal  proposition,  that  a  longer 
life,  and  a  greater  degree  of  health,  are  the  sure  re- 
sults of  a  careful  regard  to  the  commandment,  '  Re- 
member the  Sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy.^''^ 

In  the  above  remarks  of  Professors  Mussey  and 
Harrison  numerous  other  educated  and  highly  re- 
spectable physicians  fully  concur. 

Ebenezer  Alden,  M.  D.,  of  Massachusetts,  remarks, 
"  After  much  reflection,  I  am  satisfied  that  the  Sab- 
bath was  made  for  man,  as  a  physical,  as  well  as  an 
intellectual  and  moral  being.  1  view  it  as  a  day  of 
compensation  for  the  inadequate  restorative  power 
of  the  body,  under  continued  labor  and  excitement. 


31 

The  Sabbath  holds  the  same  relation  to  the  week 
that  night  does  to  day.  It  is  mercifully  interposed 
as  an  interruption  of  labor:  a  day  when  the  cares 
and  anxieties  of  life,  so  far  as  they  relate  to  the 
body,  should  be  laid  aside,  that  man  may  recruit  his 
strength  and  renew  his  exhausted  powers.  Un- 
necessary labor  on  the  Sabbath  is  a  physical  si?i, 
a  transgression  of  a  physical  lata,  a  law  to  which 
a  penalty  is  attached,  a  penalty  which  cannot  be 
evaded.  Whoever  tramples  upon  the  Sabbath,  mak- 
ing it  a  day  of  toil,  instead  of  a  day  of  rest,  is  living 
'  too  fast,'  and  will,  in  consequence,  the  sooner 
reach  '  that  bourn  from  v/ hence  no  traveller  re- 
turns.' Such  is  my  opinion,  and  such,  I  apprehend, 
will  be  found  to  be  substantially  the  opinion  of  every 
reflecting  and  well-educated  physician." 

At  a  regular  meeting  of  the  Ncav  Haven  Medical 
Association,  composed  of  twenty-five  physicians, 
among  whom  were  the  professors  of  the  Medical 
College,  the  following  questions  were  considered  :  — 

1.  Is  the  position  taken  by  Dr.  Farre  in  his  testi- 
mony before  the  committee  of  the  British  House  of 
Commons,  in  your  view,  correct? 

2.  Will  men  who  labor  but  six  days  in  a  week 
be  more  healthy  and  live  longer,  other  things  being 
equal,  than  those  who  labor  seven  ? 

3.  Will  they  do  more  work,  and  do  it  in  a  better 
manner  ? 

The  vote  on  the  above  was  unanimciisly  in  the 
affirmative ;  signed  by  Eli  Ives,  chairman,  and  Pliny 
A.  Jewett,  clerk. 

John  C.  Warren,  M.  D.,  of  Boston,  professor  in  the 
Medical  College  of  Harvard  University,  observes,  ^'I 
concur  entirely  in  the  opinion  expressed  by  Dr. 
Farre,  whom  I  personally  know  as  a  physician  of 
the  highest  respectability.  The  utility  of  observing 
the  Sabbath  as  a  day  of  rest,  considered  in  a  secular 
point  of  view,  re^ts  upon  one  of  the  most  general  of 


32 

the  laws  of  nature,  the  law  of  periodicity.  So  far 
as  my  observation  has  extended,  those  persons  who 
are  in  the  habit  of  avoiding  worldly  cares  on  the 
Sabbath,  are  those  most  remarkable  for  the  perfect 
performance  of  their  duties  during  the  week.  The 
influence  of  a  change  of  thought,  on  the  Sabbath, 
upon  the  minds  of  such  persons,  resembles  that  of 
the  change  of  food  upon  the  body.  It  seems  to 
give  a  fresh  spring  to  the  mental  operations,  as  the 
latter  does  to  the  physical.  /  have  a  firm  belief 
that  such  persons  are  able  to  do  more  work,  and 
do  it  in  a  better  maimer,  in  six  days,  than  if  they 
worked  the  whole  seven.  The  breathing  of  the 
pure  and  sublime  atmosphere  of  a  religious  Sab- 
bath refreshes  and  invigorates  the  spirit.  It  forms 
an  epoch  in  our  existence  from  which  we  receive 
a  new  impulse,  and  thus  constitutes  the  best  prep- 
aration for  the  labors  of  the  following  week." 

Gilbert  Smith,  M.  D.,  late  president  of  the  College 
of  Physicians  in  the  city  of  New  York,  says,  ''  I 
have  read  with  much  satisfaction  Dr.  Farre's  testi- 
mony, and  unhesitatingly  subscribe  to  his  views." 

The  opinions  of  the  above  and  many  other  dis- 
tinguished medical  gentlemen  are  abundantly  con- 
firmed by  facts.  Men  who  labor  but  six  days  in  a 
week  are  more  healthy  and  strong  than  those  who 
labor  seven.  They  do  more  work,  and  live,  upon 
an  average,  to  a  greater  age.  This  has  been  strik- 
ingly exemplified  in  numerous  cases.  Eight  respect- 
able physicians  of  Rochester,  New  York,  viz.,  F, 
Backus,  M.  D.  ;  J.  E.  Elwood,  M.  D. ;  M.  Strong, 
M.  D. ;  J.  W.  Smith,  M.  D.  ;  J.  Brewster,  M.  D.  ; 
J.  H.  Hamilton,  M.  D.  :  E.  W.  Armstrong,  M.  D. ; 
and  M.  Long,  M.  D.,  have  given  the  following  testi- 
mony :  ''  We  fully  concur  in  the  opinions  expressed 
by  Drs.  Farre  and  Warren.  Having  most  of  us  lived 
on  the  Erie  Canal  since  its  completion,  we  have 
uniformly  witnessed  the  same  deteriorating  effects 


33 

of  seven  days'  working  upon  the  physical  constitu- 
tion, both  of  man  and  beast,  as  have  been  so  a'cly 
depicted  by  Dr.  Farre."  They  are  more  sickly  than 
others,  bring  upon  themselves,  in  great  numbers,  a 
premature  old  age,  and  sink  to  an  untimely  grave. 
Nor  is  it  true  that  men  who  labor  six  days  in  a 
week,  and  rest  on  one,  are  more  healthy,  merely,  and 
live  longer  than  those  who  labor  seven ;  but  tliey  do 
more  ivork,  and  in  a  better  maniier.  The  experi- 
ment was  tried  in  England  upon  two  thousand  men. 
They  were  employed  for  years,  seven  days  in  a 
week.  To  render  ihem  contended  in  giving  up 
their  right  to  the  Sabbath  as  a  day  of  rest,  that 
hirthi^ight  of  the  huinati  family,  they  paid  them 
double  wages  on  that  day,  eight  days'  wages  for 
seven  days'  work.  But  they  could  not  keep  them 
healthy,  nor  make  them  moral.  Nor  can  men  ever 
be  made  moral,  or  kept  most  healthy  in  that  way. 
Things  went  badly,  and  they  changed  their  course  — 
employed  the  workmen  only  six  days  in  a  week, 
and  allowed  them  to  rest  on  the  Sabbath.  The 
consequence  was,  that  they  did  more  work  than 
ever  before.  This,  the  superintendent  said,  was 
owing  to  two  causes,  viz.,  the  demoralization  of 
the  people  under  the  first  system,  and  their  exhaus- 
tion of  bodily  strength,  which  was  visible  to  the 
most  casual  observer.  Such  a  course  will  always 
demoralize  men,  and  diminish  their  strength. 

It  was  tried  on  the  northern  frontier  of  the  United 
States,  during  the  last  war.  When  building  vessels, 
making  roads,  and  performing  other  laborious  ser- 
vices, the  commander  stated  that  it  was  not  profita- 
ble to  employ  the  men  on  the  Sabbath,  for  it  was 
found  that  they  could  not,  in  the  course  of  the 
week,  do  as  much  work. 

In  the  year  1839,  a  committee  was  appointed  in 
the  legislature  of  Pennsylvania,  who  made  a  report 
with  regard  to  the  employment  of  laborers  on  their 


34 

canals.  In  that  report,  they  say,  in  reference  to 
those  who  had  petitioned  against  the  employment 
of  the  workmen  on  the  Sabbath,  ''  They  assert,  as  the 
result  of  their  experience ^  that  both  man  and  beast 
can  do  more  work  by  resting  one  day  in  seven,  than 
by  working  on  the  whole  seven."  They  then  add, 
"  Your  committee  feel  free  to  confess,  that  their 
own  experience  as  business  men,  farmers,  or  legisla- 
tors, corresponds  with  the  assertion." 

The  minister  of  marine  in  France  has  addressed 
a  letter  to  all  the  maritime  prefects,  directing  that 
no  workman,  except  in  case  of  absolute  necessity, 
be  employed  in  the  government  dock-yards  on  the 
Sabbath.  One  reason  which  he  gives  is,  that  men 
who  do  not  rest  on  the  Sabbath  do  not  perform  as 
much  labor  during  the  week,  and,  of  course,  that  it 
is  not  profitable  to  the  state  to  have  labor  performed 
on  that  day.  Another  reason  is,  that  it  is  useful  to 
the  state  to  promote  among  the  laboring  classes  the 
religious  ohservaiice  of  the  Sabbath.  This  is,  no 
doubt,  the  case.  And  one  way  to  promote  among 
the  laboring  classes  the  religious  observance  of  the 
Sabbath  is,  for  functionaries  of  the  government  to 
suspend  their  secular  business,  and  religiously  ob- 
serve the  day,  themselves.  Let  the  distinguished 
classes  of  society  set  an  example  of  keeping  the 
Sabbath,  and  others  may  be  expected  to  follow  it. 
And  let  employers  in  no  case  imnecessarily  deprive 
those  whom  they  employ  of  the  rest  and  privileges 
which  God  has  provided  for  them,  and  the  enjoy- 
ment of  which  would  promote  the  mutual  good  of 
all.  The  policy  which  seeks  to  gain  by  the  viola- 
tion of  the  laws  which  infinite  wisdom  and  goodness 
have  established,  is  selfish,  short-sighted,  ajid  defeats 
its  own  e7id. 

The  experiment  was  tried  in  a  large  flouring  estab- 
lishment. For  a  number  of  years,  they  worked  the 
mills  seven  days  in  a  week.     The  superintendent 


35 

was  then  changed.  He  ordered  all  the  works  to  be 
stopped  at  eleven  o'clock  on  Saturday  night,  and  to 
start  none  of  them  till  one  o'clock  on  Monday 
morning,  thus  allowing  a  full  Sabbath  every  week. 
And  the  same  men,  during  the  year,  actually  ground 
thousands  of  bushels  more  than  had  ever  been 
ground,  in  a  single  year,  in  that  establishment  be- 
fore. The  men,  having  been  permitted  to  cleanse 
themselves,  put  on  their  best  apparel,  rest  from 
worldly  business,  go  with  their  families  to  the 
house  of  God,  and  devote  the  Sabbath  to  its  ap- 
propriate duties,  were  more  healthy,  moral,  punc- 
tual, and  diligent.  They  lost  less  time  in  drinking, 
dissipation,  and  quarrels.  They  were  more  clear- 
headed and  whole-hearted,  knew  better  how  to  do 
things,  and  were  more  disposed  to  do  them  in  the 
right  way. 

This,  under  similar  circumstances,  will  always 
be  the  case.  Men  who  labor  six  days  in  a  week, 
and  rest  one,  can  do  more  work  in  all  kinds  of  busi- 
ness, and  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  do  it  in 
a  better  manner,  than  those  who  labor  seven.  The 
Sabbath  was  not  designed,  and  it  is  not  adapted,  to 
injure  men,  even  in  their  business  for  this  world, 
but  to  benefit  them  ;  and  those  who  will  not  keep 
it  reject  their  own  mercies. 

It  has  been  said  that  those  who  manufacture 
salt  by  boiling  must  violate  the  Sabbath,  because 
it  will  not  do  to  let  the  kettles  cool  down  as  often 
as  once  a  week.  But  a  gentleman  tried  the  ex- 
periment, who  said  that,  if  he  could  not  keep  the 
Sabbath,  he  would  not  make  salt.  He  had  thirty- 
two  kettles.  He  allowed  the  fires  to  go  out,  and 
all  the  works  to  stop,  from  Saturday  till  Monday. 
His  men  attended  public  worship  on  the  Sabbath. 
In  the  course  of  the  season,  they  boiled  seventy- 
eight  days,  and  made,  upon  an  average,  over  two 
hundred  bushels  of  salt  a  day  —  in  all  fifteen  thou- 


36 

sand  eight  hundred  and  seventy  bushels  ;  and  at  an 
expense,  for  breakage  and  repairs,  of  only  six  cents. 
At  the  close  of  the  season,  he  told  his  Sabbath- 
breaking  neighbors  how  much  he  had  made;  but  it 
was  so  much  more  than  they  had  made  themselves, 
that  they  could  hardly  believe  him.  Their  expenses 
for  breakage  and  repairs  had  been  much  greater  than 
his.  Not  a  man,  with  the  same  dimension  of  ket- 
tles, had  made  as  much  salt  as  he.  Resting  on  the 
Sabbath  does  not,  on  the  whole,  hinder  men  in  their 
business.  It  helps  them  both  as  to  the  quantity  and 
the  quality  of  their  work.  Even  fishermen  abroad 
on  the  ocean,  who  fish  but  six  days  in  a  week,  or- 
dinarily prosper  better  than  those  who  fish  seven. 

A  gentleman  who  resides  in  a  fishing  town,  and 
who  has  made  extensive  inquiries,  remarks,  ''  Those 
who  fish  on  the  Sabbath  do  not,  ordinarily,  take  any 
more,  during  the  season,  than  those  who  keep  the 
Sabbath.  They  do  not  make  more  money,  or  pros- 
per better  for  this  world.  They  are  not  more  re- 
spectable or  useful,  nor  are  their  families.  Their 
children  are  not  more  moral,  and  it  seems  to  be  no 
better  for  them,  in  any  respect^  than  if  they  fished 
and*did  business  only  six  days  in  a  week. 

''  One  man  followed  fishing  eight  years.  The 
first  four  he  fished  on  the  Sabbath.  The  next  four 
he  strictly  kept  the  Sabbath,  and  is  satisfied  that  it 
was  for  his  advantage  in  a  temporal  point  of  view. 
Another  man,  who  was  accustomed,  for  some  years, 
to  fish  on  the  Sabbath,  afterwards  discontinued  it, 
and  found  that  his  profits  were  greater  than  before. 
Another  man  testifies  that,  in  the  year  1827,  he  and 
his  men  took  more  fish  by  far  than  any  who  were 
associated  with  them,  though  he  kept  the  Sabbath, 
and  they  did  not.  It  was  invariably  his  practice  to 
rest  from  Saturday  till  Monday.  Though  it  was 
an  unfavorable  season  for  the  fisheries,  he  was 
greatly   prospered   in   every   way,  and  to  such  £in 


37 

extent  that  many  regarded  his  success  as  almost 
miraculous. 

'-  Examples  like  the  above  might  be  multiplied  to 
almost  any  extent.  So  far  as  I  can  learn  by  diligent 
inquiry,  all  who  have  left  off  fishing  on  the  Sabbath, 
without  an  exception^  think  the  change  has  been  for 
their  temporal  advantage. 

"  He  who  has  been  more  successful  than  any 
other  among  us,  this  season,  has  strictly  kept  the 
Sabbath,  as  have  also  his  men.  They  went  to  the 
coast  of  Labrador,  were  gone  less  time  than  usual, 
took  more,  fish  than  the  crew  of  any  other  vessel, 
and  more  tlian  they  could  bring  home.  They  gave 
away  thirty-five  hundred  fish  before  they  left  the 
ground.  In  thirteen  days  they  caught  eleven  hun- 
dred quintals." 

A  gentleman  belonging  to  another  fishing  town, 
which  sends  out  more  than  two  hundred  vessels  in 
a  year,  writes  as  follows:  "I  think  it  may  safely 
be  stated  that  those  vessels  which  have  not  fished 
on  the  Sabbath  have,  taken  together,  met  with 
more  than  ordinary  success.  The  vessel  whose 
earnings  were  the  highest,  the  last  year  and  the 
year  before,  was  one  on  board  w^hich  the  Sabbath 
was  kept  by  refraining  from  labor,  and  by  religious 
worship.  There  is  one  firm  which  has  had  eight 
vessels  in  its  employ  this  season.  Seven  have  fished 
on  the  Sabbath,  and  one  has  not.  That  one  has 
earned  seven  hundred  dollars  more  than  the  most 
successful  of  the  six.  There  are  two  other  firms 
employing  each  three  vessels.  Two  out  of  the  three, 
in  each  case,  have  kept  the  Sabbath,  and  in  each 
case  have  earned  more  than  two  thirds  of  the 
profits.''^ 

The  sabbatical  institution  is  in  accordance  with 
the  nature  of  man,  and  the  observance  of  it  is  prof- 
itable unto  all  tJiings. 

The  same  law  is  impressed,  by  the  same  divine 
4 


38 

hand,  on  the  nature  of  the  laboring  animals.  When 
employed  but  six  days  in  a  week,  and  allowed  to 
rest  one,  they  are  more  healthy  than  they  can  be 
when  employed  during  the  whole  seven.  They  do 
more  work,  and  live  longer. 

The  experiment  was  tried  on  a  hundred  and 
twenty  horses.  They  were  employed,  for  years, 
seven  days  in  a  week.  But  they  became  unhealthy, 
and  finally  died  so  fast,  that  the  ov/ner  thought  it  too 
expensive  and  put  them  on  a  six  days'  arrangement. 
After  this  he  was  not  obliged  to  replensih  them  one 
fourth  part  as  often  as  before.  Instead  of  sinking  con- 
tinually, his  horses  came  up  again,  and  lived  years 
longer  than  they  could  have  done  on  the  other  plan. 

A  manufacturing  company,  which  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  carry  their  goods  to  market  with  their  own 
teams,  kept  them  employed  seven  days  in  a  week,  as 
that  was  the  time  in  which  they  could  go  to  the  mar- 
ket and  return.  But  by  permitting  the  teams  to  rest 
on  the  Sabbath,  they  found  that  they  could  drive 
them  the  same  distance  in  six  days  that  they  for- 
merly did  in  seven,  and,  with  the  same  keeping, 
preserve  them  in  better  order. 

At  a  tavern  in  Pennsylvania,  a  man,  who  had 
arrived  the  evening  before,  was  asked,  on  Sabbath 
morning,  whether  he  intended  to  pursue  his  journey 
on  that  day.  He  answered,  "  No."  He  was  asked, 
"Why  not?"  "Because,"  said  he,  "I  am  on  a 
long  journey,  and  wish  to  perform  it  as  soon  as  I  can. 
I  have  long  been  accustomed  to  travel  on  horseback, 
and  have  found  that,  if  I  stop  on  the  Sabbath,  my 
horse  will  travel  farther  during  the  week  than  if  1 
do  not." 

A  gentleman  in  Vermont,  who  was  in  the  habit  of 
driving  his  horses  twelve  miles  a  day  seven  days  in 
a  week,  afterwards  changed  his  practice,,  and  drove 
them  but  six  days,  allowing  them  to  rest  one.  He 
then  found  that,  with  the  same  keeping,  he  could 


39 

drive  them  fifteen  miles  a  day,  and  preserve  them  in 
as  good  order  as  before.  So  that  a  man  may  rest  on 
the  Sabbath,  and  let  his  horses  rest,  yet  promote 
the  benefit  of  both,  and  be  in  all  respects  a  gainer. 

Two  neighbors  in  the  state  of  New  York,  each 
with  a  drove  of  sheep,  started  on  the  same  day  for  a 
distant  market.  One  started  several  hours  before 
the  other,  and  travelled  uniformly  every  day.  The 
other  rested  every  Sabbath.  Yet  he  arrived  at  the 
market  first,  with  his  flock  in  a  better  condition  than 
that  of  the  other.  In  giving  an  account  of  it,  he 
said  that  he  drove  his  sheep  on  Monday  about  seven- 
teen miles,  on  Tuesday  not  over  sixteen,  and  so 
lessening  each  day,  till  on  Saturday  he  drove  them 
only  about  eleven  miles.  But  on  Monday,  after 
resting  on  the  Sabbath,  they  would  travel  again 
seventeen  miles,  and  so  on  each  week.  But  his 
neighbor's  sheep,  which  were  not  allowed  to  rest  on 
the  Sabbath,  before  they  arrived  at  the  market,  could 
not  travel,  without  injmy,  more  than  six  or  eight 
miles  in  a  day. 

Two  men  from  another  part  of  the  same  state, 
each  with  a  drove  of  sheep,  started  at  the  same  time 
for  another  market.  One  rested,  and  the  other  trav- 
elled, on  the  Sabbath,  through  the  whole  journey. 
And  the  man  who  kept  the  Sabbath  arrived  at  the 
market  as  many  days  before  the  other,  as  he  rested 
Sabbath  days  on  the  road. 

A  number  of  men  started  together  from  Ohio, 
with  droves  of  cattle  for  Philadelphia.  They  had 
often  been  before,  and  had  been  accustomed  to  drive 
on  the  Sabbath  as  on  other  days.  One  had  now 
changed  his  views  as  to  the  propriety  of  travelling 
on  that  day.  On  Saturday  he  inquired  for  pastures. 
His  associates  wondered  that  so  shrewd  a  man 
should  think  of  consuming  so  great  a  portion  of  his 
profits  by  stopping  with  such  a  drove  a  whole  day. 
He  stopped,  however,  and  kept  the  Sabbath.     They, 


40 

thinking  that  they  could  not  afford  to  do  so,  went 
on.  On  Monday  he  started  again.  In  the  course 
of  the  week  he  passed  them,  arrived  first  in  the 
market,  and  sold  his  cattle  to  great  advantage.  So 
impressed  were  the  others  with  the  benefits  of  thus 
keeping  the  Sabbath,  that  ever  afterwards  they  fol- 
lowed his  example. 

A  gentleman  started  from  Connecticut,  with  his 
family,  for  Ohio.  He  was  on  the  road  about  four 
weeks,  and  rested  every  Sabbath.  From  morning 
to  night,  others,  journeying  the  same  way,  were  pass- 
ing by.  Before  the  close  of  the  week  he  passed 
them.  Those  who  went  by  late  on  the  Sabbath  he 
passed  on  Monday;  those  who  went  by  a  little 
earlier  he  passed  on  Tuesday  ;  and  so  on,  till,  before 
the  next  Sabbath,  he  had  passed  them  all.  His 
horses  were  no  better  than  theirs,  nor  were  they  bet- 
ter fed.  But  having  had  the  benefit  of  resting  on 
the  Sabbath,  according  to  the  command  of  God  and 
the  law  of  nature,  they  could  out-travel  those  who 
had  violated  that  law. 

A  company  of  men  in  the  state  of  New  York 
purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  Northern  Illinois, 
and  started,  with  their  families  and  teams,  to  take 
possession  of  it.  A  part  of  them  rested  on  the  Sab- 
bath. The  others  continued  their  journey  on  that, 
as  on  other  days.  Before  the  next  Sabbath,  those 
who  had  stopped  passed  by  the  others.  This 
they  did  every  week,  and  each  succeeding  week  a 
little  earlier  than  they  did  the  week  before.  Had 
the  journey  continued,  they  would  soon  have  been 
so  far  ahead  that  the  others  would  not  be  able  to 
overtake  them  on  the  Sabbath.  They  were  the  first 
to  arrive  at  their  new  homes,  with  men  and  teams  in 
good  order.  Afterwards  the  others  came,  jaded  and 
worn  out  by  the  violation  of  the  law  of  nature  and 
the  command  of  God. 

Great  numbers  have  made    similar  experiments, 


41 

and  uniformly  with  similar  results  ;  so  that  it  is 
now  settled  by  facts,  that  the  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath is  required  by  a  natural  law,  and  that,  were 
man  nothing  more  than  an  animal,  and  were  his  ex- 
istence to  be  confined  to  this  world,  it  would  be  for 
his  interest  to  observe  the  Sabbath.  Should  all  the 
business,  which  is  not  required  by  the  appropriate 
duties  of  the  Sabbath,  be  confined  to  six  days  in  a 
week,  the  only  time  which  God  has  made,  or  given 
to  man,  or  to  which  he  has  a  right,  for  that  purpose, 
both  man  and  beast  might  enjoy  higher  health,  ob- 
tain longer  life,  and  do  more  work,  and  in  a  better 
manner,  than  by  the  secular  employment  of  the 
whole  seven. 

But  man  is  an  angel  as  well  as  an  animal.  He 
has  a  soul  as  well  as  a  body.  The  Sabbath  was 
made  for  both,  especially  for  the  soul.  It  derives 
its  chief  importance  from  its  influence  on  that 
which  is  deathless.  It  is  the  great  institution  for 
elevating,  picrifyiiig,  a?id  blessing,  the  soul,  and  fit- 
ting it  not  only  for  usefulness  and  happiness  on 
earth,  but  for  glory,  honor,  immortality ,  and  eternal 
life,  in  heaven. 

Even  the  intellect,  incessantly  employed,  becomes 
jaded,  enfeebled,  and  deranged.  Men  of  strong  and 
vigorous  powers,  disciplined  and  trained  for  the  most 
effective  efforts,  have  found,  by  experience,  that  they 
can  accomplish  more,  and  in  a  better  manner,  by 
employing  the  mind,  especially  in  one  continued 
train,  not  over  six  days  in  a  week,  and  resting  one, 
than  they  can  by  employing  it  the  whole  seven. 
After  trying  both  ways,  they  find  that  they  can  ac- 
complish in  one  what  they  cannot  accomplish  in  the 
other,  and  have  thus  proved  that  the  Sabbath  was 
made  for  the  intellect,  as  well  as  the  other  parts  of 
man.  Scientific  and  literary  men,  who  study  but 
six  days  in  a  week,  ordinarily  make  greater  progress, 
in  the  course  of  the  year,  than  those  who  study 
4* 


42 


seven.  Experience  has  shown  the  same  with  refer- 
ence to  students  m  colleges.  After  the  rest  and 
duties  of  the  Sabbath,  the  mind  is  in  a  better  state 
for  vigorous  and  successful  effort.  The  following 
declaration  of  Sir  Matthew  Hale  is  an  illustration  of 
this  truth  :  — 

*'  Though  my  hands  and  my  mind  have  been  as 
full  of  secular  business  both  before  and  after  I  was 
judge,  as,  it  may  be,  any  man's  in  England,  yet  I 
never  wanted  time  in  six  days  to  ripen  and  fit  my- 
self for  the  business  and  employments  I  had  to  do, 
though  I  borrowed  not  one  minute  from  the  Lord's 
day,  to  prepare  for  it,  by  study  or  otherwise.  But, 
on  the  other  hand,  if  I  had,  at  any  time,  borrowed 
from  this  day,  any  time  for  my  secular  employment, 
I  found  it  did  further  me  less  than  if  I  had  let  it 
alone  ;  and  therefore,  when  some  years'  experience, 
upon  a  most  attentive  and  vigilant  observation,  had 
given  me  this  instruction,  1  grew  peremptorily  re- 
solved never  in  this  kind  to  make  a  breach  upon  the 
Lord's  day,  Avhich  I  have  now  strictly  observed  for 
more  than  thirty  years."  He  also  declared  that  it 
had  become  almost  proverbial  with  him,  when  any 
one  importuned  him  to  attend  to  secular  business  on 
the  Sabbath,  to  tell  them  that  if  they  expected  it,  to 
"succeed  amiss,"  they  might  desire  him  to  under- 
take it  on  that  day ;  that  he  feared  even  to  think  of 
secular  business  on  the  Sabbath,  because  the  resolu- 
tion then  taken  would  be  disappointed  or  unsuccess- 
ful ;  and  that  the  more  faithfully  he  applied  himself 
to  the  duties  of  the  Lord's  day,  the  more  happy  and 
successful  was  his  business  during  the  week. 

The  late  distinguished  Dr.  Wilson,  pastor  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church  in  Philadelphia,  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  before  he  became  a  preacher  of  the 
gospel,  was  an  eminent  lawyer  in  the  state  of  Dela- 
ware. He  was  accustomed,  when  pressed  with 
business,  to  make  out  his  briefs,  and  prepare  for  his 


43 

Monday's  pleading  on  the  Sabbath.  But  he  so  iini- 
formly  failed,  during  the  week,  in  carrying  out  his 
Sunday  plans,  that  it  arrested  his  attention.  As  a 
philosopher,  he  inquired  into  the  cause  of  his  uni- 
form failure,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it 
might  be,  and  probably  was,  on  account  of  his  vio- 
lation of  the  Sabbath,  by  employing  it  in  secular 
business.  He  therefore,  from  that  time,  abandoned 
the  practice  of  doing  any  thing  for  his  clients  on 
that  day.  The  difficulty  ceased.  His  efforts  on 
Monday  were  as  successful  as  on  other  days.  Such 
were  the  facts  in  his  case,  and  many  others  have 
testified  to  similar  facts  in  their  experience. 

A  mechanic  in  IMassachusetts,  whose  business 
required  special  skill  and  care,  was  accustomed,  at 
times,  when  pressed  with  business,  to  pursue  it  on 
the  Sabbath,  after  having  followed  it  during  the  six 
days  of  the  week.  But  he  so  often  made  mistakes^ 
by  which  he  lost  more  than  he  gained,  that  he 
abandoned  the  practice,  as  one  which  he  could  not 
afford  to  continue.  Mind  is  no  more  made  to  work 
vigorously  and  continuously  in  one  course  of  effort 
seven  days  in  a  week,  than  the  body ;  and  it  cannot 
do  it  to  advantage. 

There  are  laws  of  mind,  as  well  as  of  body,  which 
no  n>an  can  annul ;  and  they  have  penalties  which 
no  transgressor  can  evade.  He  may  seem  for  a  time 
to  escape,  and  even  to  prosper ;  but  judgment  will 
come.  If  he  continues  his  course  of  transgression, 
he  will  wither  and  droop,  or,  long  before  the  proper 
time,  and  often  suddenly,  will  come  to  his  end,  and 
have  none  to  help  him.  The  memory  of  many  a 
man  can  recall  instances  among  his  own  acquaint- 
ance which  have  been  striking  illustrations  of  this 
truth.  Mind,  as  well  as  body,  must  have  rest^  and 
the  more  regularly  it  has  it,  according  to  the  divine 
appointment,  other  things  being  equal,  the  more 
perfect  will  be  the  health,  and  the  greater  the  capa- 


44 

bility  of  judicious,  well-balanced,  long-continued, 
and  effective  efforts. 

Clergymen,  whose  official  duties  require  vigorous 
and  toilsome  efforts  on  the  Sabbath,  must  have 
some  other  day  for  rest,  or  their  premature  loss  of 
voice,  of  health,  or  of  life,  will  testify  to  them 
and  to  others  the  reality  and  hurtfulness  of  their 
transgressions.  Distinguished  scholars,  jurists,  and 
statesmen,  have  often  fallen  victims  to  the  trans- 
gression of  this  law.  Students,  literary  and  pro- 
fessional men,  who  have  thoroughly  tried  both 
ways,  have  all  found  that  they  could  accomplish 
more  mental  labor,  and  in  a  better  manner,  by 
abstaining  from  their  ordinary  pursuits  on  the  Sab- 
bath, than  by  employing  the  whole  week  in  one 
continuous  course  of  efforts. 

But  the  great  evil  of  transgressing  the  law  of  the 
Sabbath  is  on  the  heart.  Man  is  a  morale  as  well 
as  an  intellectual  being.  His  excellence,  his  use- 
fulness, and  his  happiness,  depend  chiefly  on  his 
character.  To  the  right  formation  and  proper  cul- 
ture of  this  the  Sabbath  is  essential.  Without  it, 
all  other  means  will,  to  a  great  extent,  fail.  You 
may  send  out  Bibles  as  on  the  wings  of  the  wind, 
scatter  religious  tracts  like  the  leaves  of  the  forest, 
and  even  preach  the  gospel,  not  only  in  the  house 
of  God,  but  at  the  corner  of  every  street,  —  if  men 
will  not  stop  their  worldly  business,  travelling,  and 
amusements,  and  attend  to  the  voice  which  speaks 
to  them  from  heaven,  the  cares  of  the  world,  the 
deceitfulness  of  riches,  and  the  pride  of  life,  will 
choke  all  these  means,  and  render  them  unfruitful. 
Such  men  do  not  avail  themselves  of  the  institution 
which  God  has  appointed  to  give  efficacy  to  moral 
influence,  and  which  he  blesses  by  his  Spirit  for 
that  purpose.  On  the  other  hand,  men  who  keep 
the  Sabbath  feel  its  benign  effects.  Even  the  ex- 
ternal observance  of  it  is,  to  a  great  extent,  con- 


45 

nected  with  external  morality  ;  while  its  internal, 
as  well  as  external  observance  will  promote  pm'ity 
of  heart  and  life. 

Of  twelve  hundred  and  thirty-two  convicts,  who 
had  been  committed  to  the  Auburn  State  Prison 
previously  to  the  year  1838,  four  hundred  and  forty- 
seven  had  been  watermen,  —  either  boatmen  or  sail- 
ors, —  men  who,  to  a  great  extent,  had  been  kept  at 
work  on  the  Sabbatfi,  and  thus  deprived  of  the  rest 
and  privileges  of  that  day.  Of  those  twelve  hun- 
dred and  thirty-two  convicts,  only  twenty-six  had 
conscientiously  kept  the  Sabbath. 

Of  fourteen  hundred  and  fifty,  who  had  been 
commhted  to  that  prison  previously  to  1839,  five 
hundred  and  sixty-three  had  been  of  the  same  class 
of  men  ;  and  of  the  whole,  only  twenty-seven 
had  kept  the  Sabbath. 

Of  sixteen  hundred  and  fifty-three,  who  had  been 
committed  to  that  prison  previously  to  1840,  six 
hundred  and  sixty  had  been  watermen,  and  twenty- 
nine  only  had  kept  the  Sabbath.  Of  two  hundred 
and  three,  who  were  committed  in  one  year,  ninety- 
seven  had  been  watermen,  and  only  two  out  of  the 
whole  had  conscientiously  kept  the  Sabbath. 

Thus  it  appears,  from  official  documents,  that, 
while  the  watermen  were  but  a  small  proportion  of 
the  whole  population,  they  furnished  a  very  large  pro- 
portion of  the  convicts  ;  much  larger,  it  is  believed,, 
than  they  would  have  done,  had  they  enjoyed  the 
rest  and  privileges  of  the  Christian  Sabbath.  It 
appears,  also,  that  nearly  all  the  convicts  were  Sab- 
bath-breakers —  men  who  disregarded  the-  duties 
and  neglected  the  privileges  of  that  blessed  day. 

The  watermen  had  been  kept  at  work,  in  many 
cases,  under  the  delusive  plea,  that,  should  they  be 
permitted  to  rest  on  the  Sabbath,  they  would  be- 
come more  wicked,  —  an  idea  which  facts,  under 
the  means  of  grace,  show  to  be  false. 


46 

On  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal,  on  which 
are  more  than  seven  hundred  boats,  the  experiment 
has  been  tried.  The  directors  were  told,  at  first, 
that,  should  they  not  open  the  locks  on  the  Sabbath, 
the  men  would  congregate  in  large  numbers,  and 
would  become  more  wicked  than  if  they  should 
continue  to  pursue  their  ordinary  business  ;  but  the 
result  is  directly  the  reverse.  Since  the  locks  have 
not  been  opened,  and  official  biisiness  has  not  been . 
transacted  on  the  Lord's  day,  the  men  have  become 
more  morale  as  well  as  more  healthy,  and  the  in- 
terests of  all  have  been  manifestly  promoted  by  the 
change. 

Let  any  class  of  men  enjoy  the  rest  and  privileges 
of  the  Sabbath,  and  the  effects  will  prove  that  it 
"  was  made  for  man,"  by  Him  who  made  man  ; 
and  who,  in  view  of  all  its  consequences,  especially 
as  the  great  means  of  giving  efficacy  to  moral  gov- 
ernment, with  truth  pronounced  it,   "very  good." 

On  the  other  hand,  take  away  from  man  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Sabbath  and  its  attendant  means  of 
grace,  and  you  take  away  the  safeguard  of  his  soul ; 
you  bar  up  the  highway  of  moial  inffiience,  and 
lay  him  open  to  the  incursions  and  conquests  of 
Satan  and  his  legions.  Thus  man  becomes  an  easy 
prey,  and  is  led  captive  by  the  adversary  at  his  will. 

Of  one  hundred  men  admitted  to  the  Massachu- 
setts State  Prison  in  one  year,  eighty-nine  had  lived 
in  habitual  violation  of  the  Sabbath  and  neglect  of 
public  worship. 

A  gentleman  in  England  who  was  in  the  habit, 
for  more  than  twenty  years,  of  daily  visiting  con- 
victs, states  that,  almost  universally,  when  brought 
to  a  sense  of  their  condition,  they  lamented  their 
neglect  of  the  Sabbath,  and  pointed  to  their  viola- 
tion of  it  as  the  principal  cause  of  their  ruin. 
That  prepared  them  for,  and  led  them  on,  step  by 
step,  to  the  commission  of  other  crimes,  and  finally 


47 

to  the  commission  of  that  which  brought  them  to 
the  prison,  and  often  to  the  gallows.  He  has  letters 
almost  innumerable,  he  says,  from  others,  proving 
the  same  thing,  and  that  they  considered  the  viola- 
tion of  the  Sabbath  the  great  cause  of  their  ruin. 
He  has  attended  three  hundred  and  fifty  at  the- 
place  of  execution,  when  they  were  put  to  death 
for  their  crimes.  And  nine  out  of  ten  who  were 
brought  to  a  sense  of  their  condition  attributed  the 
greater  part  of  their  departure  from  God  to  their 
neglect  of  the  Sabbath. 

Another  gentleman,  who  has  been  conversant 
with  prisoners  for  more  than  thirty  years,  states 
that  he  found,  in  all  his  experience,  both  with  re- 
gard to  those  who  had  been  capitally  convicted  and 
those  who  had  not,  that  they  referred  to  the  viola- 
tion of  the  Sabbath  as  the  chief  cause  of  their 
crimes  ;  and  that  this  has  been  confirmed  by  all  the 
opportunities  he  has  had  of  examining  prisoners. 
Not  that  this  has  been  the  only  cause  of  crime  ;  but, 
like  the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors,  it  has  greatly 
increased  public  and  private  immorality,  and  been 
the  means,  in  a  multitude  of  cases,  of  premature 
death. 

Another  gentleman,  who  has  had  the  charge  of 
more  than  one  hundred  thousand  prisoners,  and  has 
taken  special  pains  to  ascertain  the  causes  of  their 
crimes,  says  that  he  does  not  recollect  a  single  case 
of  capital  offence  where  the  party  had  not  been  a 
Sabbath-breaker.  And  in  many  cases  they  assured 
him  that  Sabbath-breaking  was  the  first  step  in 
their  downward  course.  Indeed,  he  says,  with 
reference  to  prisoners  of  all  classes,  nineteen  out  of 
twenty  have  neglected  the  Sabbath  and  other  or^ 
dinances  of  religion.  And  he  has  often  met  w^ith 
prisoners  about  to  expiate  their  crimes  by  an  igno- 
minious death,  w^ho  earnestly  enforced  upon  survi- 
vors the  necessity  of  an  observance  of  the  Sabbath, 


4S 

and  ascribed  their  own  course  of  iniquity  to  a  non- 
observance  of  that  day. 

Says  the  keeper  of  one  of  the  largest  prisons, 
''  Nine  tenths  of  our  inmates  are  those  loho  did  not 
value  the  Sabbath^  and  were  not  in  the  habit  of  at- 
tending public  worships 

It  is  not  so  strange,  then,  if  human  nature  were 
the  same,  and  the  effect  of  Sabbath-breaking  the 
same,  under  the  Jewish  dispensation  as  it  is  now, 
that  God  should  cause  the  Sabbath-breaker,  like  the 
murderer,  to  be  put  to  death.  Sabbath-breaking 
prepared  the  way  for  murder,  and  often  led  to  it  ; 
and  it  would  not  be  possible  to  prove  that  Sabbath- 
breaking,  now,  is  not  doing  even  more  injury  to  the 
people  of  the  United  States  than  murder.  Should 
every  person  in  this  country  habitually  keep  the 
Sabbath,  and  attend  public  worship,  murders  would, 
to  a  great  extent,  if  not  wholly,  cease  ;  and  pris- 
ons become  comparatively  empty.  Sabbath-keepers 
very  rarely  commit  murder,  or  perpetrate  other 
heinous  crimes. 

The  secretary  of  a  Prison  Discipline  Society, 
who  has  long  been  extensively  conversant  with 
prisoners,  was  asked  how  many  persons  he  sup- 
posed there  are  in  State  Prisons  who  observed  the 
Sabbath  and  habitually  attended  public  worship  up 
to  the  time  when  they  committed  the  crime  for 
which  they  were  imprisoned.  He  answered,  "  I  do 
not  suppose  there  are  any."  An  inquiry  into  the 
facts,  it  is  believed,  would  show,  with  but  few  ex- 
ceptions, this  opinion  to  be  correct.  Men  who 
keep  the  Sabbath  experience  the  restraining,  if 
not  the  renewing  and  sanctifying,  grace  of  God. 
While  they  keep  the  Sabbath,  God  keeps  the??!. 
When  they  reject  the  Sabbath,  he  rejects  them ; 
and  thus  suffers  them  to  eat  the  fimit  of  their  ow?i 
ioay,  and  to  be  filled  with  their  own  devices. 

A  father,  whose  son  was  addicted  to  riding  out  for 


49 

pleasure  on  the  Sabbath,  was  told  that,  if  he  did  not 
stop  It,  his  son  would  ba  ruined.  He  did  not  stop 
it,  but  sometimes  set  the  example  of  riding  out  on 
pleasure  himself.  His  son  became  a  man,  was 
placed  in  a  responsible  situation,  and  intrusted  with 
a  large  amount  of  property.  Soon  he  was  a  de- 
faulter, and  absconded.  In  a  different  part  of  the 
country  he  obtained  another  responsible  situation, 
and  was  again  intrusted  with  a  large  amount  of 
property.  Of  that  he  defrauded  the  owner,  and  fled 
again.  He  was  apprehended,  tried,  convicted,  and 
sent  to  the  State  Prison.  After  years  spent  in  soli- 
tude and  labor,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  his  father,  and, 
after  recounting  his  course  of  crime,  he  added,  "  That 
was  the  effect  of  breaking  the  Sabbath  when  I  was 
a  boy.''^ 

Should  every  convict  who  broke  the  Sabbath 
when  a  boy,  and  whose  father  set  him  the  example, 
sjieak  out  from  all  the  State  Prisons  of  the  country, 
they  would  tell  a  story  which  Avould  cause  the  ears 
of  every  one  that  should  hear  it  to  tingle. 

A  distinguished  merchant,  long  accustomed  to 
extensive  observation  and  experience,  and  who  had 
gained  an  uncommon  knowledge  of  men,  said, 
"  When  I  see  one  of  my  apprentices  or  clerks  rid- 
ing out  on  the  Sabbath,  on  Monday  I  dismiss  him. 
Such  an  one  cannot  be  trusted." 

Facts  echo  the  declaration  —  "Such  an  one  can- 
not be  trusted."  He  is  naturally  no  worse  than 
others.  But  he  casts  off  fear,  lays  himself  open  to 
the  assaults  of  the  adversary,  and  rejects  the  means 
of  divine  protection.  He  ventures  unarmed  into 
the  camp  of  the  enemy,  and  is  made  a  demonstra- 
tion to  the  world  of  the  great  truth  that  "  he  that 
trustelh  to  his  own  heart  is  a  fool."  Not  a  man 
in  Christendom,  whatever  his  character  or  standing, 
can  knowingly  and  presumptuously  trample  on  the 
Sabbath,  devoting  it  to  worldly  business,  travelling, 
5 


50 

pleasure,  or  amusement,  and  not  debase  his  charac 
ter,  increase  his  wickedness,  and  augment  the  dangei 
that  he  will  be  abandoned  of  God,  and  given  up  to 
final  impenitence  and  ruin. 

It  was  on  Sabbath  morning,  while  out  on  an  ex- 
cursion for  pleasure,  that  he  who  was  intrusted 
with  great  responsibilities,  and  was  thought  to  be 
worthy  of  confidence,  committed  an  act  which  was 
like  the  letting  out  of  great  waters,  which  ceased 
not  to  flow,  till,  wearing  their  channels  broader  and 
deeper,  they  overwhelmed  him  and  others  in  one 
common  ruin.  Many  a  man,  setting  at  nought  the 
divine  counsel  with  regard  to  the  Sabbath,  and  re- 
fusing, on  that  day,  to  hearken  to  his  instruction  or 
reproof,  almost  before  he  was  aware  of  it,  has  found 
himself  abandoned  of  God,  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,  chained  and  fettered  by  transgression,  sinking 
from  depth  to  depth,  till  he  was  suddenly  destroyed, 
and  there  was  no  remedy. 

Let  every  young  man^  especially  he  who  has  gone 
out  from,  his  fathefs  coimsels  and  his  mother^s 
prayers,  remember  the  Sabbath,  and  keep  it  holy, 
he  found  habitually  in  the  house  of  God,  and  under 
the  sotmd  of  that  gospel  which  is  able  to  make  him 
wise  unto  salvation,  through  faith  m  Christ  Jesus. 
Let  him  avoid  worldly  business  and  amusements  on 
that  day,  as  he  luould  avoid  the  gate  of  hell. 

Even  where  they  do  not  lead  to  abandonment  in 
crime,  they  harden  the  heart,  pollute  the  affec- 
tions, sear  the  conscience,  and  prevent  the  efficacy 
of  all  the  means  of  grace.  They  carry  the  soul 
away  from  God  on  the  rapid  stream  of  time,  to- 
wards eternal  perdition.  Their  language  is,  "  No 
God  —  no  heaven  —  no  hell !  No  human  accounta- 
bility for  the  things  done  in  the  body  ?  Who  is 
Jehovah,  that  I  should  serve  him  ?  I  know  not  Je- 
hovah, neither  will  1  obey  his  voice." 

In  its  progress,  Sabbath-breaking  sometimes  seems 


51 

to  become  a  trial  of  strength  between  the  Sabbath- 
breaker  and  his  Maker.  So  besotted  is  he,  that  he 
acts  as  if  he  thought  he  could  outwit  or  overcome 
the  Ahuighty,  and  gain  something  vahiable  by  op- 
posing his   will. 

A  man  in  the  state  of  New  York  remarked  that 
he  intended  to  cheat  the  Lord  out  of  the  next  Sab- 
bath, by  going  to  a  neighboring  town  to  visit  his 
friends.  He  could  not  afford  to  take  one  of  his  own 
days,  and  therefore  resolved  to  cheat  the  Lord  out 
of  his.  On  Saturday,  he  went  with  his  team  into 
a  forest,  to  get  some  wood.  By  the  fall  of  a  tree, 
he  was  placed  in  such  a  condition  that  he  did  not 
attempt  to  carry  his  intended  fraud  into  execution. 
He  was  willing  to  stay  at  home. 

But  another  man,  in  the  same  state,  who  had 
spent  the  Sabbath  in  getting  in  his  grain,  said  that 
he  had  fairly  cheated  the  Almighty  out  of  one  day. 
He  boasted  of  it  as  a  mark  of  his  superiority.  On 
Tuesday,  the  lightning  struck  his  barn.  He  gained 
nothing  valuable  by  working  on  the  Sabbath. 

Another  man  acted  as  if  he  thought  all  the  evil 
of  working  on  the  Sabbath  consisted  in  its  being 
seen.  He  went  out  of  sight,  behind  the  woods, 
and  spent  the  day  in  gathering  his  grain,  and  put- 
ting it  into  a  vacant  building  near  his  field.  But 
the  lightning  struck  the  building,  and,  with  the 
grain,  it  was  burned  to  ashes.  He  who  made  the 
eye  saw  what  this  man  did,  and  so  ordered  things, 
in  his  providence,  that  he  gained  no  real  good  by 
his  transgression.  Men  are  not  apt,  in  the  end,  to 
gain  in  that  way. 

Seven  young  men,  in  a  town  in  Massachusetts, 
started  in  the  same  business  nearly  at  the  same  time. 
Six  of  them  had  some  property  or  assistance  from 
their  friends,  and  followed  their  business  seven  days 
in  a  week.  The  other  had  less  property  than  either 
of  the  six.  He  had  less  assistance  from  others,  and 
worked  in  his  business  only  six  days  in  a  week. 


He  is  now  the  only  man  who  has  property,  and  has 
not  failed  in  his  business. 

A  distinguished  merchant,  in  a  large  city,  said  to 
the  writer  of  this,  "  It  is  about  thirty  years  since  I 
came  to  this  city  ;  and  every  man  through  this 
whole  range,  who  came  down  to  his  store,  or  suf- 
fered his  counting-room  to  be  opened  on  the  Sab- 
bath, has  lost  his  property.  There  is  no  need  of 
breaking  the  Sabbath,  and  no  benefit  from  it.  We 
have  not  had  a  vessel  leave  the  harbor  on  the  Sab- 
bath for  more  than  twenty  years.  It  is  altogether 
better  to  get  them  off  on  a  week  day  than  on  the  Sab- 
bath." It  is  better  even  for  this  world.  And  so 
with  all  kinds  of  secular  business.  Men  may  seem 
to  gain  for  a  time  by  the  profanation  of  the  Sab- 
bath ;  but  it  does  not  end  well.  Their  disappoint- 
ment, even  here,  often  comes  suddenly. 

The  writer  of  this,  in  a  late  journey,  passed  near 
the  houses  of  four  men,  who  started  together  for  the 
Far  West.  On  Sabbath  morning,  they  discussed  the 
question  whether  it  was  right  and  best  for  them  to 
travel  on  the  Lord's  day.  The  result  was,  three  of 
them  went  onward,  and  reached  the  city  of  Buffalo 
in  time  to  take  the  steamboat  Erie,  on  her  last 
voyage.  On  that  same  Sabbath  morning,  a  com- 
pany of  travellers,  in  another  place,  discussed  the 
same  question  with  regard  to  the  propriety  of  their 
travelling  on  that  day.  And  they  separated  one 
from  another.  A  part  went  on  their  journey,  and  a 
part  stopped  and  attended  public  worship.  Those 
who  went  on  arrived  in  time  to  take  the  same  boat. 
But  they  had  not  proceeded  far,  when  it  took  fire, 
and  was  soon  in  a  blaze.  Some  were  consumed  ; 
others  jumped  overboard,  and  were  drowned. 
"Never,"  said  a  man  who  went  out  to  their  assist- 
ance,— "never  shall  I  forget  the  sound  that  struck 
upon  my  ear,  when  I  first  came  within  hearing  of 
that   boat.     They  were  hanging   on  the   sides,  and 


53 

the  burning  cinders  were  pouring  down  on  their 
heads,  and  they  were  dropping  off,  and  dropping  off. 
O,  it  was  like  the  waihng  of  despair." 

Those  who  stopped  and  attended  pubhc  worship 
arrived  in  safety,  took  another  boat,  and  live  to  testi- 
fy not  only  to  the  duty,  but  the  utility'-,  of  remember- 
ing the  Sabbath  day  and  keeping  it  holy.  '^  My  own 
brother,"  said  a  man  who  heard  the  above  statement, 
"■  was  in  that  very  company.  He  stopped,  and  saved 
his  life."  How  many  other  men  may  have  saved 
their  lives,  and  how  many  may  have  instrumentally 
saved  their  souls,  by  keeping  the  Sabbath  and  per- 
forming its  appropriate  duties,  none  but  the  Lord  of 
the  Sabbath,  and  the  Savior  of  souls,  can  tell.  Cer- 
tain it  is  that  in  the  keeping  of  his  commands,  though 
it  should  not  exempt  men  from  sudden  death,  there  is 
great  reward. 

A  man  and  his  wife  were  very  desirous  of  ar- 
riving in  New  York  in  season  to  take  the  steamboat 
Lexington.  They  were  so  anxious  that  they  trav- 
elled a  great  portion  of  the  Sabbath.  They  arrived 
in  season,  took  the  boat,  and  were  among  the  mul- 
titude who,  on  that  dismal  night,  perished  in  the 
flames,  or  found  a  watery  grave, 

A  man,  on  the  previous  Sabbath,  requested  his 
neighbor  to  go  with  him  to  New  York,  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  the  same  boat.  His  neighbor  re- 
fused, because  it  was  the  Sabbath.  He  was  urged, 
but  would  not  go.  The  other  man  then  went  to 
his  son,  and  urged  him  to  go.  He  was  reluctant, 
but,  being  strongly  urged,  he  finally  consented. 
They  started  on  their  journey.  They  reached  the 
boat ;  but  it  was  to  die,  and  go  to  judgment.  They 
did  not  gain  what  they  expected  by  travelling  on  the 
Sabbath.  Great  numbers  have  often,  very  often, 
when  they  expected  to  gain  an  important  object,  been 
disappointed,  suddenly  and  awfully  disappointed. 

That  company  of  persons  who  went  out  on  the 
5* 


Sabbath,  in  a  pleasure-boat,  expected  to  be  gainers. 
But  the  tumult  within,  before  the  tumult  Avithout, 
told  them  that  all  was  not  right  ;  and  when  the 
boat  upset,  and  the  hapless  victims  sank  to  rise  no 
more,  new  testimony  was  added  to  that  of  thou- 
sands, that  disobedience  to  God  is  not  the  way  to 
gain,  even  for  this  world. 

A  distinguished  mechanic,  in  a  part  of  the  country 
where  the  Sabbath  was  disregarded,  had  been  ac- 
customed for  a  time  to  keep  his  men  at  work  on  that 
day.  He  was  afterwards  at  work  for  a  man  who 
regarded  the  Sabbath,  and  who,  on  Saturday,  was 
anxious  to  know  what  he  intended  to  do  ;  and 
therefore  asked,  "  What  do  you  expect  to  do  to- 
morrow ?  "  He  said,  "  I  expect  to  stop,  and  keep 
the  Sabbath.  I  used  to  work  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
often  obtained  higher  wages  than  on  other  days. 
But  I  so  often  lost,  during  the  week,  more  than  all  I 
could  gain  on  the  Sabbath,  that  I  gave  it  up  years 
ago.  I  have  kept  the  Sabbath  since,  and  I  find  it 
works  better."  It  does  work  better.  And  all  who 
make  the  experiment  will,  in  due  time,  find  it  so. 

Melt  who  woi^k  against  the  comTiiandment  of 
Godj  work  against  the  providence  of  God;  and 
that  providence  loill  be  too  strong  for  them. 

*' I  used,"  said  the  master  of  a  vessel,  "some- 
times to  work  on  the  Sabbath ;  but  something 
would  happen,  by  which  I  lost  so  much  more 
than  I  gained,  by  working  on  the  Sabbath,  that 
on  one  occasion,  after  having  been  at  work,  and 
met  with  some  disaster,  I  swore,  most  profanely, 
that  I  never  would  work  again,  or  suffer  my  men 
to  work  on  that  day.  And  I  never  have."  He 
finds  it  works  better.  He  does  not  swear  now. 
He  has  induced  many  others  not  to  swear,  and 
not  to  break  the  Sabbath.  He  finds  that  in  the 
keeping  of  God's  commands,  there  is  great  reward. 
All  who  obey  them  will  find  the  same. 


55 

An  old  gentleman,  in  Boston,  remarked,  "  Men 
do  not  gain  any  thing  by  working  on  the  Sabbath. 
I  can  recollect  men  who,  when  I  was  a  boy,  used 
to  load  their  vessels,  down  on  Long  Wharf,  and 
keep  their  men  at  work  from  morning  to  night 
on  the  Sabbath  day.  But  they  have  come  to 
nothing.  Their  children  have  come  to  nothing. 
Depend  upon  it,  men  do  not  gain  any  thing,  in  the 
end,  by  working  on  the  Sabbath." 

In  another  part  of  the  country,  an  old  man  re- 
marked, "  I  can  recollect  more  than  fifty  years  ; 
but  I  cannot  recoHect  a  case  of  a  man,  in  this 
town,  who  was  accustomed  to  work  on  the  Sab- 
bath, who  did  not  fail  or  lose  his  property  before 
he  died." 

There  are  some  cases,  however,  where  men 
who  habitually  break  the  Sabbath  do  not  fail  ; 
they  make  property,  and   keep  it  till  they  die. 

A  case  of  this  sort  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
writer.  The  man  was  notorious  for  disregarding 
the  Sabbath,  and  prosecuting  his  worldly  business 
on  that  day.  He  increased  his  riches  till  he  thought 
that  he  had  enough,  and  began  to  make  preparation 
to  retire  and  enjoy  it.  But  before  he  was  ready  for 
that,  he  lost  his  reason,  and  died  a  maniac. 

But  ail  Sabbath-breakers,  who  make  property 
and  keep  it,  do  not  lose  their  reason.  Some  con- 
tinue to  enjoy  it  while  they  live,  and  transmit  their 
property  to  their  children.  But  it  is  less  likely  to 
be  a  blessing  to  them,  than  if  it  had  been  acquired 
in  obedience  to  the  laws  of  God.  It  does  not  wear 
well,  and,  while  it  lasts,  often  appears  to  be  under  a 
curse. 

"Those  views,"  said  a  man,  ''are  all  supersti- 
tion ;  the  idea  that  it  is  not  as  profitable  or  safe  to 
work  on  the  Sabbath  as  on  other  days  is  false.  I 
will  prove  that  it  is  false."  So  he  attempted  it. 
He  ploughed  his  field  and  sowed  his  grain  on  the 


56 

Sabbath.  It  came  np  and  grew  finely.  Often, 
during  the  season,  he  pointed  to  it,  in  proof  that 
Sabbath-day  labor  is  safe  and  profitable.  He 
reaped  it,  and  stacked  it  np  in  the  field.  His 
boys  took  the  gun,  and  went  out  into  the  woods. 
It  was  a  dry  time,  and  they  set  the  leaves  on 
fire.  The  wind  took  the  fire  ;  it  swept  over 
the  field,  and  nought  bat  the  blackness  of  ashes 
marked  the  place  where  the  grain  stood.  "  Let 
not  him  that  putteth  on  the  harness  boast  himself, 
as  he  that  putteth  it  off."  He  could  not  prove, 
though  he  tried  long  and  hard,  that  it  is  safe  or 
profitable  to  work  on  the  Sabbath. 

But  another  man  thought  he  had  succeeded  better. 
He  even  boasted  that  he  had  found,  by  experiment, 
that  it  was  more  profitable  to  work  on  the  Sabbath 
than  to  rest  and  attend  public  worship.  The  Sab- 
bath on  which  he  had  finished  the  gathering  in  of 
his  crops,  he  told  his  neighbors,  who  had  attended 
public  worship,  how  much  wiser  he  had  been  than 
others.  He  had  worked  on  the  Sabbath  all  the 
year,  and  had  thus  gained  more  than  fifty  days, 
which  his  neighbors  had  lost  by  their  superstition. 
But  that  very  day  the  lightning  struck  his  barn, 
and  his  Sabbath-day  gains  and  his  week-day  gains 
were  burnt  together.  His  neighbors  were  not  con- 
vinced that  it  was  profitable  or  safe  to  work  on  the 
Sabbath.  It  was  not  in  his  power  to  convince  them. 
They  were  more  disposed  than  ever  to  confine  their 
secular  business  to  the  six  days  which  were  made 
and  given  to  men,  and  to  which  alone  they  have 
a  right  for  that  purpose. 

Though  this  is  not  a  state  of  full  retribution,  yet 
Jehovah  is  ''a  God  who  judgeth  in  the  earth^^''  and 
sometimes,  even  here,  he  visits  certain  sins  with  his 
curse  ;  causing  a  fearful  looking-for  of  judgment 
and  fiery  indignation,  which  are  to  come  hereafter. 
The   intemperate   man   cannot   compete   with   the 


57 

temperate,  nor,  continuing  such,  can  he  escape  the 
drunkard's  grave.  Notorious  rebels  against  earthly 
parents  will  look  in  vain  for  those  smiles  of  Provi- 
dence which  fall  upon  filial  virtue.  "  The  eye 
that  mocketh  at  his  father,  and  despiseth  to  obey 
his  mother,  the  ravens  of  the  valley  shall  pick  it 
out,  and  the  young  eagles  shall  eat  it." 

And  he  that  contemneth  his  Father  in  heaven, 
and  openly  trampleth  on  that  institution  which  he 
hath  appointed  for  giving  efficacy  to  his  moral 
government  among  men,  and  diffusing  the  bless- 
ings of  his  parental  love  over  the  great  human 
family,  will  find  that,  though  his  long-suffering 
is  amazing,  while  his  sun  rises  on  the  evil  and 
the  good,  and  his  rain  descends  on  the  just  and 
the  unjust,  judgment,  in  due  time,  lingereth  not, 
and  damnation  slumbereth  not.  In  many  cases, 
before  it  comes,  there  are  indications  of  violated 
laws,  by  attendant  retributions.  Every  intemper- 
ate man  is  an  evidence  of  this  truth. 

A  man  of  remarkable  talents  for  business,  and 
good  opportunities  for  the  acquisition  of  property, 
was  confident  that  he  could  succeed,  and  keep 
what  he  gained,  without  regarding  the  Sabbath, 
or  obeying  the  natural  and  moral  laws  of  God. 
He  had  no  idea  of  being  confined  in  his  efforts 
to  six  days  in  a  week.  He  would  take  all  the 
days,  and  employ  them  as  he  pleased.  For  a 
time  he  succeeded.  Property  flowed  in  upon  him, 
and  he  grew  increasingly  confident  that  the  idea 
of  the  necessity  or  utility  of  keeping  the  Sab- 
bath, in  order  to  permanent  prosperity,  was  a 
delusion.  The  last  year  his  property  was  sold 
for  the  benefit  of  his  creditors  by  the  sheriff; 
and  he  now  seems  farther  than  ever  from  being 
able  to  prove  that  ungodliness  is  profitable  even 
for  this  life.  It  sometimes,  for  a  season,  appears, 
to   superficial    observers,   to  be  so.     But   the    end 


58 

corrects  the  mistake  ;  and  sometimes  the  retribu- 
tion Avhich  follows  convinces  the  transgressor  him- 
self that  it  comes  from  God,  and  leads  him  to  aban- 
don  his  violations  of  the   Sabbath. 

A  man  who  ridiculed  the  idea  that  God  makes  a 
difference  in  his  providence  between  those  who 
yield  visible  obedience  to  his  laws  and  those  who 
do  not,  had  been  engaged,  on  a  certain  Sabbath,  in 
gathering  his  crops  into  his  barn.  The  next  week, 
he  had  occasion  to  take  fire  out  into  his  field  in  or- 
der to  burn  some  brush.  He  left  it,  as  he  supposed, 
safely,  and  went  in  to  dinner.  The  wind  took  the 
fire,  and  carried  it  into  his  barn-yard,  which  was 
filled  with  combustibles,  and,  before  he  was  aware 
of  it,  the  flames  were  bursting  out  of  his  barn.  He 
arose  in  amazement,  saw  that  all  was  lost,  and,  fix- 
ing his  eye  on  the  curling  flames,  stood  speechless. 
Then,  raising  his  finger,  and  pointing  to  the  rising 
column  of  fire,  he  said,  w4th  solemn  emphasis, 
''  That  is  the  finger  of  God." 

Do  you  say,  Barns  sometimes  are  burnt  w^hose 
owners  do  not  break  the  Sabbath  ;  buildings  are 
struck  with  lightning  while  their  owners  are  en- 
gaged in  public  worship  ;  steamboats  take  fire,  and 
good  men  are  burnt  up  in  them ;  or  their  prop- 
erty takes  wings  and  flies  away,  as  well  as  the 
property  of  notoriously  wicked  men  ?  That  is  some- 
times the  case.  Calamities  in  this  world  come,  to 
some  extent,  upon  all.  But  do  they  come  as  often, 
and  to  as  great  an  extent,  upon  those  who  obey  the 
natural  and  moral  laws  of  God,  as  upon  those  who 
openly  and  habitually  violate  them  ?  Do  the  intem- 
perate, the  thief,  and  the  murderer  ordinarily  secure 
and  retain  as  many  blessings  in  this  world,  as  the 
temperate,  the  honest,  and  the  pious? 

Do  notorious  and  habitual  Sabbath-breakers,  who 
devote  the  day  to  worldly  business,  travelling,  and 
amusement,  acquire  as  much  property,  keep  it  as 


59 


long,  and  as  often  transmit  it,  as  a  blessing,  to  tlieir 
children,  as  those  who  conscientiously  abstain  from 
those  practices,  and  regularly  attend  the  pubHc 
worship  of  God,  on  the  Lord's  day  ?  Let  the  Bible, 
and  facts  determine.  Look  at  the  men  who,  for  the 
last  forty  years,  have  disregarded  the  Sabbath,  and 
pursued  their  course  of  business  or  amusement  seven 
days  in  a  week  ;  look  at  their  children  and  children's 
children,  and  compare  them,  as  a  body,  with  those 
who  kept  the  Sabbath,  and  trained  up  their  children 
in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord  ;  and  let 
the  convictions  of  every  sober,  candid,  and  reflect- 
ing man  determine.  Aged  men,  in  great  numbers, 
after  extensive  observation,  through  a  long  course 
of  years,  have  expressed  a  strong  conviction  that  facts 
echo  the  declarations,  '■  Six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and 
do  all  thy  work  ;  but  remember  the  Sabbath  day,  and 
keep  it  holy." 

Any  man  may  die  suddenly  by  fire  or  water, 
lightning  or  disease.  It  is  not  a  part  of  the  Sa- 
vior's promise,  even  to  his  friends,  that  they  shall 
not  die  suddenly.  He  evidently  teaches  that  they 
may,  and,  in  view  of  it,  says,  "  Watch  therefore,  for 
in  such  an  hour  as  ye  think  not  the  Son  of  man  com 
eth."  "  And  what  I  say  unto  you,  I  say  unto  all. 
Watch  !  "  No  man,  whatever  his  character,  can  b'. 
sure  that  he  Avill  not,  the  next  hour,  be  in  eternity. 
That  is  a  reason  why  no  man  should  break  the  Sab 
bath,  or  in  any  way  knowingly  disobey  God.  He 
may  die  while  doing  it.  That  is  a  reason  why 
every  man  should,  at  all  times,  be  found  doing  the 
will  of  his  Father  in  heaven,  in  dependence  on  his 
grace,  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  his  glory,  and 
the  good  of  men.  "  Blessed  is  that  servant  whom  his 
Lord,  when  he  cometh,  shall  find  so  doing.  If  he 
shall  come  in  the  second  watch,  or  in  the  third 
watch,  blessed  is  that  servant."  While  "  the  wicked 
is  driven  away  in  his  wickedness,"  "the  righteous 


60 

hath  hope  in  his  death."  However  suddenly,  in 
whatever  way,  he  is  removed  from  earth,  thougli  to 
live  were  Christ,  through  him  that  loved  him  and 
gave  himself  for  him,  to  die  shall  he  gain. 

Let  each  o?ie,  then,  in  every  co7idition,  fear  God 
and  keep  his  commands ;  for  this  is  the  duty,  the 
right,  the  privilege,  the  wisdom,  the  safety,  the  ex- 
cellence, and  the  blessedness,  of  man. 


RESOLUTIONS    ADOPTED   BY    NUMEROUS    BODIES     OF    MEN 
IN    VARIOUS    PARTS    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES. 

1.  Resolved^  That,  as  but  six  days  in  a  week  have  been  made  for 
secular  business,  and  no  more  have  ever  been  given  to  men  for  that 
purpose,  if  they  take  more,  it  is  without  right,  in  opposition  to  the 
revealed  will  of  God,  and  in  violation  of  his  law,  the  penalty  of 
which  "will  show  that  "the  way  of  transgressors  is  hard," 

2.  Resolved,  That,  as  the  Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and  the  ob- 
servance of  it  is  essential  to  the  higiiest  social,  civil,  and  religious 
interests  of  men,  it  is  not  only  the  duty,  but  the  right  and  the  privi- 
lege of  all  men  to  remember  it  and  keep  it  holy. 

3.  Resolved,  That  the  loading  and  unloading  of  vessels,  the  sailing 
of  vessels  from  tJie  harbor,  the  running  of  stage-coaches,  rail-cars, 
and  canal-boats,  and  the  travelling  in  them,  the  visiting  of  post- 
offices,  reading-rooms,  and  other  places  for  secular  reading,  business, 
or  amusement,  are  not  only  unnecessary,  but  are  violations  of  the 
law  of  God,  and  ought  to  be  abandoned  throughout  the  community. 

4.  Resolved,  That  it  be  recommended  to  all  families  to  supply 
themselves  with  some  good  Sabbath  Manual,  that  the  rising  genera- 
tion may  all  understand  the  reasons  for  the  universal  and  perpetual 
observance  of  the  Christian  Sabbath. 

5.  Resolved,  That  all  persons  who  are  acquainted  with  facts 
which  illustrate  the  duty  and  utility  of  observing  the  Sabbath,  and 
the  evils  of  violating  it,  are  requested  to  cause  them  to  be  published 
and  circulated  as  extensively  as  possible,  that  the  voice  of  God  in 
his  providence,  as  well  as  in  his  word,  with  regard  to  this  subject, 
may  be  heard  by  the  people. 

6.  Resolved,  That,  such  is  the  fundamental  importance  of  the 
Christian  Sabbath,  and  such  its  influence  upon  all  the  great  interests 
of  men,  that  its  due  observance  ought  to  receive  the  earnest  atten- 
tion, the  fervent  prayers,  and  the  hearty,  active,  and  jxTst^vering  co- 
operation of  all  friends  of  God  and  man  throughout  the  world. 


SECOND 

PEHMANENT    DOCUMENT 

Oy    THE 

5lmencan  anb  Jorctgn  SabbatI)  Union. 


CONTENTS 


Page. 
The  Sabbath  not  made  for  the 

Jews  only 3 

The  original  Law  of  Creation  .4 
No  Period  of  Duration  holy  in 

itself. 5 

The  Sabbath  not  chronological 

Identity 6 

Illustrations   of   keeping    the 

Fourth  Commandment 7 

The  great  Principle  as  to  Time. 8 

The  new  Creation 9 

Effects  of  the   Knowledge  of 

Jehovah 10 

Prophecy  applied  to  Christ...  11 
The  Practice  of  the  Redeemed  12 
The  Practice  of  the  Redeemer. 13 

The  Joy  of  his  Disciples 14 

Their  Meetings  on  the  Lord's 

Day 15 

Interview  with  Thomas 16 

Agreement  of  Prophecy  and 

Facts 17 

The  Day  of  Pentecost 18 

Conduct  of  Apostles  and  first 

Christians 19 

The  Sanction  of  God 20 

Testimony    of   Ignatius    and 

others 21 

Testimony    of   Clement    and 

Tertullian 22 

Directions    and    Conduct    of 

Paul 23 

The  Sanction  of  Jesus  Christ. 24 


Page. 

Testimony  of  Pliny 25 

Testimony  of  Justin  Martyr.. 26 
Testimony   of    Ambrose    and 

others 27 

Correctness  of  Mosheim's  Tes- 
timony  28 

Character   and   Testimony  of 

Eusebius 29 

Sanction  of  the  Holy  Ghost..  31 
Perpetuity  and  Effects  of  the 

new  Creation 32 

Warning  of  the  Savior 33 

Moral  and  Ceremonial  Laws. 34 

Two  Kinds  of  Sabbaths 35 

One  Kind  only  abolished 36 

Testimony  of  Dr.  Chalmers  ..38 
Opinions  of  the  Reformers..  .40 

Causes  of  their  Mistakes 41 

Consequences  of  Truth  and  of 

Error 42 

Testimony     of     Luther     and 

Calvin 43 

Testimony  of  Bullinger 44 

Testimony  of  Melancthon  and 

others 45 

Opinion  of  Ursinus 46 

Calvin  on  the  Manner  of  keep- 
ing the  Sabbath 47 

Opinions  of  Viret  and  Bucer.48 

Conclusions  of  Fairbairn 49 

Testimony  of  Vitringa,  Cow- 
drey,  and  Owen 51 

Destructive  Effects  of  Error..  52 


No.  II. 

PERMANENT  SABBATH  DOCUMENTS, 


'•Remember  the  Sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy,"  is 
the  declaration,  not  of  the  Bible  only,  but  of  Provi- 
dence. Both  utter  the  voice  of  nature,  and  proclaim 
the  will  of  nature's  God.  It  was  because  the  nature 
of  man,  as  a  physical  and  moral  being,  required  the 
Sabbath,  that  the  day  was  made  for  him.  Without 
the  observance  of  it,  he  can  never  obtain  the  good  of 
which  he  is  capable,  or  avoid  the  evils  which  he  has 
reason  to  fear. 

Some  contend  that  the  Sabbath  was  made  for  the 
Jews  only.  But  this  is  in  opposition  to  the  testimony 
of  the  Infallible  Witness,  the  Lord  of  the  Sabbath. 
His  decision  is,  (Mark  ii.  27,)  ''The  Sabbath  was 
made  for  man."  Man^  as  used  in  this  connection,  and 
in  other  places  in  the  Bible,  does  not  mean  Jews  only  : 
it  means  the  human  family;  as  when  it  is  said,  "Man 
that  is  born  of  a  woman  is  of  ie^^  days  and  full  of 
trouble.  He  cometh  forth  as  a  flower,  and  is  cut 
down."  It  does  not  mean  Jews  only  :  it  means  the 
human  race.  When  it  is  said,  "  Man  lieth  down,  and 
riseth  not  again  till  the  heavens  be  no  more,"  does  it 
mean  Jews  only  ?  No.  It  means  man,  to  whom  it  is 
appointed  once  to  die.  And  the  Sabbath  was  made  for 
man  —  that  man  to  whom  it  is  appointed  once  to  die, 
and  after  that  the  judgment.  And  it  was  designed, 
and   is  adapted,  to   aid  him   in  preparing  for   those 


inevitable  and  momentous  events ;  as  well  as  to  cheer 
and  animate,  sustain  and  comfort  him,  as  he  goes 
forward  to  meet  them.  It  comes,  by  divine  appoint- 
ment, to  ease  him  of  his  burdens,  and  soothe  him  in 
his  sorrows,  pour  light  on  his  darkness,  and  point  him 
upward  to  that  rest  which  remaineth  for  the  people  of 
God ;  so  that  for  him  to  live  may  be  Christ,  and  to 
die  may  be  gain.  Whenever  and  wherever  it  is  kept 
by  any  of  the  human  family,  in  accordance  with  the 
divine  will,  it  has,  through  grace,  that  benign  ef- 
fect. 

The  word  Sabbath  means  rest  —  "  The  rest  was 
made  for  man."  The  rest  spoken  of  by  our  Savior 
is  a  day  of  weekly  rest  from  secular  business  and 
cares,  for  the  purpose  of  devoting  it  especially  to  the 
worship  of  God,  and  the  promotion  of  the  spiritual 
good  of  men.  And,  in  order  to  this,  and  with  ref- 
erence to  his  benefit  here,  as  well  as  hereafter,  it  was 
designed  to  give  him  one  day  in  seven,  in  addition  to 
the  nights,  as  a  season  of  rest  from  physical  toil,  in 
order  to  promote  his  health  and  comfort,  his  longevity, 
and  his  usefulness  to  himself  and  others. 

In  this  respect,  it  is  not  an  original  and  primary  in- 
stitution, standing  out  alone  ;  but  it  is  based  upon 
another,  that  lies  back  of  it,  viz.  "  Six  days  shall  thou 
labor,  and  do  all  thy  work."  This  was  the  original 
law  for  man ;  and  to  it,  in  order  to  make  it  known, 
and  give  it  sanction,  Jehovah  himself  conformed,  in 
the  making  of  the  world.  Hence  the  reason  why  the 
first  great  exhibition  of  himself,  in  the  beginning,  and 
that  which  meets  us  at  the  opening  of  revelation, 
is  that  of  "  Divinity  in  action  ; "  working  "  six  days," 
and  "  six  days  "  only. 

Hence  the  reason,  also,  why,  having  wrought  "  six 
days,"  the  next  great  exhibition  of  himself,  recorded 
for  the  instruction  of  all  ages,  is  that  of  "  Divinity  in 
repose ; "  resting  one  day,  after  six  days  of  labor. 
And  hence,  too,  the  reason  why  he  sanctified  the  day, 


5 

or  set  it  apart  from  other  days,  for  a  special  and  pecu- 
liar purpose,  to  be  employed,  not  as  a  day  for  worldly 
business  and  cares,  but  as  a  day  of  rest.  The  nature 
of  man  and  beast  would  need  it;  the  glory  of 
their  Maker  would  require  it,  and  the  good  of  the  uni- 
verse would  be  promoted  by  it.  Hence  the  reason, 
also,  why  he  blessed  the  day,  for  the  purposes,  and 
for  those  only,  for  which  it  was  made,  — for  which  it 
was  in  all  ages  to  be  occupied,  —  to  which  it  had,  by 
his  great  example,  been  thus  solemnly  devoted. 

To  these  great  facts  he  himself  appeals,  as  reasons 
why  men  should  keep  the  Sabbath.  "  Six  days  shalt 
thou  labor,  and  do  all  thy  work  ;  but  the  seventh  day 
is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God  ;  in  it  thou  shalt 
not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daugh- 
ter, nor  thy  man-servant,  nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor 
thy  cattle,  nor  thy  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates;  " 
—  that  is,  under  thy  control ;  — ''  for  in  six  days 
the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that 
in  them  is,  and  rested  the  seventh  day ;  wherefore  the 
Lord  blessed  the  Sabbath  day"  (or  the  day  of  rest) 
''and  hallowed  it."  Their  observance  of  it  would,  in 
all  ages,  be  a  sign  that  they  acknowledged  him  as 
their  God ;  and  it  would  secure  his  acknowledgment 
of  them  as  his  people.  Hence  the  command,  (Ez.  xx. 
20,)  "  Hallow  my  Sabbaths,  and  they  shall  be  a  sign 
between  me  and  you,  that  ye  may  know  that  I  am 
Jehovah,  your  God." 

Some  have  supposed,  that,  by  this  arrangement,  a 
definite  period  of  duration  was  made  holy  in  itself, 
and  that  all  persons  must  keep  that  identical  period, 
or  they  could  not  acceptably  obey  the  command. 
But  this  is  a  mistake ;  and  it  arises  from  looking  at 
the  surface  of  things,  or  regarding  their  sound  and  ap- 
pearance, and  is  a  striking  illustration  of  the  law 
maxim,  ^'Hceret  in  litera,  hceret  in  cortices 

The    primary  and  essential    idea  in    the  numbers 
"  six  "  and  "  seven,"  as  used  in  the  command,  is  that 
1* 


of  proportion.  It  marks  the  number  of  days  to  be 
devoted  to  secular  concerns,  compared  with  those  to 
be  devoted  to  rest  and  spiritual  duties.  "  Six  days 
shalt  thou  labor ; "  and  the  next  day,  which,  of  course, 
reckoning  from  the  first  working  day,  is  "  the  sev- 
enth," thou  shalt  rest,  and  not  do  any  work.  Men 
who  call  their  first  working  day  the  second  day  of  the 
week,  and  who,  on  the  seventh  day  from  that,  keep 
the  Christian  Sabbath,  do  as  really  comply  with  the 
spirit  and  the  letter  of  the  fourth  commandment,  as 
men  did  who  of  old  kept  the  Jewish  Sabbath.  "  Six 
days  they  labor,  and  in  them  do  all  their  work  ;  and 
the  seventh  day  they  rest,  and  do  not  do  any  work ;  " 
and  that  is  the  spirit^  as  well  as  the  letter,  of  the  com- 
mand. It  is  based  on  the  arrangement  made  for  man, 
whose  nature  requires,  after  working,  with  suitable 
diligence,  six  days,  that  the  seventh  should  be  devoted 
to  rest  and  to  spiritual  duties. 

That  it  is  not  chronological  or  numerical  identity, 
that  is  referred  to,  or  is  the  primary  and  essential  idea 
in  the  Sabbath  law,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  every 
spot  on  the  earth  is  constantly  changing  its  position 
with  regard  to  the  sun;  and  that  day  and  night,  the 
first  day  and  the  seventh,  in  different  places,  and  to 
different  people,  come  at  totally  different  times.  They 
may  be  a  half  a  day,  or  even  a  whole  day,  apart ;  and 
yet  each  may  obey  the  law.  Six  days  they  may  la- 
bor, and  in  them  do  all  their  work.  The  seventh, 
whether  they  call  it  seventh  in  their  week,  or  not, 
they  may  rest,  and  both  keep  the  Sabbath,  according 
to  the  commandment. 

The  Christians  in  New  Holland,  or  in  China,  keep 
the  Sabbath  at  a  very  different  time  from  the  Chris- 
tians in  America.  And  even  should  a  people  lose  the 
original  reckoning  of  time,  as  some  people  may  have 
done,  still  they  need  not,  and,  if  pious  and  enlight- 
ened, would  not,  live  without  a  Sabbath,  nor  without 
obeying  the  Sabbath  law.     Six  days  they  would  la- 


bor,  and  in  them  do  all  their  work ;  and  the  seventh 
day  they  would  rest,  and  worship  God ;  and  would 
thus  acceptably  keep  the  Sabbath. 

No  identical  period  of  duration  is,  in  itself,  intrin- 
sically holy ;  but  one  seventh  is  set  apart  by  Jehovah 
for  sacref/ purposes.  On  that  account  it  is  called  holy ; 
as  the  temple  and  the  sacred  vessels  were  called  holy, 
because  devoted  to  holy  purposes. 

Two  pious  colonies  start  from  the  same  place :  one 
goes  east,  and  the  other  west.  They  continue  their 
journey  till  they  meet  on  the  same  parallel  of  longi- 
tude, and  in  different  latitudes :  they  settle  for  life. 
They  are  now  a  whole  day  apart ;  and,  should  they 
continue  till  they  should  reach  the  longitude  from 
which  they  started,  they  would  be  two  days  apart. 
And  yet  each  might,  all  the  way,  though  at  different 
times,  be  obeying  the  spirit  and  the  letter  of  the  fourth 
commandment,  and  in  a  manner  equally  acceptable  to 
God. 

When  the  English  sailors  first  visited  Pitcairn's 
Island,  they  arrived  on  Saturday,  and  found  the 
islanders,  with  John  Adams  at  their  head,  keeping  the 
Christian  Sabbath.  They  had  gone  to  the  island  in 
different  directions.  The  consequence  was,  that  the 
Saturday  of  the  one  was  the  Sabbath  of  the  other, 
and  the  Sabbath  of  the  one  was  the  Monday  of  the 
other.  And  yet  each  company  might  continue  to 
keep  the  Sabbath,  according  to  its  own  reckoning,  if 
they  were  not  to  live  together,  and  might  do  it  with 
equal  acceptance ;  though,  if  they  were  to  live  to- 
gether, it  might  be  their  duty  to  change ;  and  either 
company  might  change  its  days  of  labor  and  of  rest, 
so  as  to  conform  to  the  other  ;  and  whichever  party 
should  change,  they  would  continue,  as  they  had  done 
before,  to  conform  to  the  spirit  and  to  the  letter  of  the 
Sabbath  law. 

Is  it,  then,  of  no  importance  which  of  the  six  days 
m  a  week  men  occupy  for  labor  and  secular  concerns, 


and  which  for  rest  and  for  spiritual  duties  ?  May  each 
select  his  own  time,  without  regard  to  the  divine 
sanction,  or  the  general  good  ?  No.  In  the  first  place, 
there  should  be  agreement  as  to  the  time,  that  each 
may  not  incommode,  but  may  assist,  the  others  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  privileges,  and  the  performance  of 
the  duties,  of  the  Sabbath.  And  that  there  may  be 
agreement,  each  should  inquire  Avith  regard  to  the 
will  of  God,  and  observe  the  day  which  is  indicated, 
in  his  word  and  by  his  providence,  as  suited  to  the 
end  for  which  the  Sabbath  was  appointed. 

When  the  great  object  was  to  celebrate  the  mani- 
festation of  Jehovah  as  Creator,  it  was  suitable  that 
the  day  selected  should  be  that  on  which  he  fin- 
ished the  work  of  creation,  and  on  which  he  rested 
himself,  and  thus,  as  Lord  of  creation,  gave  to  the 
observance  of  the  Sabbath  the  sanction  of  his 
example. 

Should  the  time  ever  come,  when  he  should  make 
greater  and  more  glorious  displays  of  himself,  than 
were  made  in  the  physical  creation,  reason  would 
seem  to  require  —  we  should  naturally  expect  —  that 
those  displays  would  be  celebrated;  not,  indeed,  to 
the  exclusion  of  the  other,  but  in  addition  to  the 
other,  and  in  proportion  to  their  magnitude  and  im- 
portance. 

Has  he  ever  made  any  displays  of  himself,  which 
he  represents  as  more  glorious  than  those  which  were 
made  in  the  physical  creation  ?  The  heavens  declare 
his  glory,  and  the  firmament  showeth  his  handy- 
work.  These  are,  indeed,  bright  manifestations  of 
glory,  and  are  worthy  of  a  weekly  celebration.  Is 
there  any  thing  which  exceeds  in  glory  ?  which 
shows,  not  only  wisdom,  power,  and  goodness,  but,  in 
addition,  unsearchable  riches  of  kindness,  compassion, 
ajid  grace  ?  which  displays  justice  and  mercy  meeting 
together,  righteousness  and  peace  embracing  each 
other?     What  saith  the  prophet,  the  man  inspired  of 


God,  to  speak  for  him,  in  this  matter?  "Behold!  I 
create  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth ;  the  former 
shall  not  be  remembered  nor  come  into  mind.  There 
shall  come  forth  a  rod  out  of  the  stem  of  Jesse,  and  a 
branch  shall  grow  out  of  his  roots."  "  Righteousness 
shall  be  the  girdle  of  his  loins,  and  faithfulness  the 
girdle  of  his  reins.  The  wolf  shall  dwell  with  the 
lamb ;  the  leopard  shall  lie  down  with  the  kid  ;  the 
calf,  and  the  young  lion,  and  the  fatling,  together  ;  and 
a  little  child  shall  lead  them.  The  cow  and  the  bear 
shall  feed  ;  their  young  ones  shall  lie  down  together. 
The  sucking  child  shall  play  on  the  hole  of  the  asp, 
and  the  weaned  child  put  his  hand  on  the  cockatrice's 
den ;  and  they  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  my 
holy  mountain  :  for  the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the 
knoxoledge  of  Jehovah,  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea^ 

What  is  that  knowledge  of  Jehovah,  which  is  to 
work  such  wonders  ?  Is  it  the  knowledge  of  him  as 
Creator  merely ;  stretching  out  the  heavens  as  a  cur- 
tain, and  the  earth  as  a  tent,  to  dwell  in  ?  Is  it  that 
in  six  days  he  created  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and 
all  that  in  them  is;  and  that  men,  from  week  to 
week,  have  celebrated  these  displays  of  his  glory  ?  Are 
these  the  principal  displays  which  are  to  be  celebrated, 
when  men  shall  beat  their  swords  into  ploughshares, 
and  their  spears  into  pruning-hooks  ?  when  the  lion  and 
the  lamb  shall  lie  down  together,  and  there  is  nothing 
to  hurt  or  destroy  ?  What  saith  Jehovah  himself  in 
this  matter  ? 

"  Be  ye  glad,  and  rejoice  forever  in  that  which  I 
create.^^  And  what  is  it  ?  The  physical  creation  ? 
"  Behold,  I  create  Jerusalem  a  rejoicings  and  her 
people  a  joy.  I  will  rejoice  in  Jerusalem,  and  joy  in 
my  people  ;  and  the  voice  of  weeping  shall  no  more- 
be  heard  in  her,  nor  the  voice  of  crying.  No  more 
shall  there  be  an  infant  of  days,  or  an  old  man  that 
hath  not  fulfilled  his  days  ;  for  he  that  dieth  at  a 
hundred  years,  shall  die  a  boy ;  and  the  sinner  that 


10 

dieth  at  a  hundred  years,  shall  be  deemed  accursed. 
For  as  the  days  of  a  tree  shall  be  the  days  of  my 
people ;  and  they  shall  wear  out  the  works  of  their 
own  hands.  The  wolf  and  the  lamb  shall  feed  to- 
gether ;  and  they  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy,  in  all  my 
holy  mountain,  saith  Jehovah." 

Such  are  the  glories  which  are  to  be  celebrated, 
when  the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
Lord,  as  the  waters  fill  the  seas  —  the  glories  of  Jeho- 
vah not  as  Creator  merely,  or  principally,  but  the 
glories  of  Jehovah  as  Redeemer.  No  sooner  does  he 
appear  as  God,  manifest  in  the  flesh,  than  suddenly 
there  is  with  the  angels  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly 
hosts,  crying,  "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest." 
Why  ?  Because  that  in  six  days  he  created  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  ?  No  ;  not  that  merely,  or  prin- 
cipally ;  but  because  there  is  "  peace  on  earth,  good- 
will to  men,"  through  those  wondrous  manifesta- 
tions, into  which  angels  desire  to  look,  of  a  just  God, 

AND  YET  A  SaVIOR. 

The  first  creation  made  men  creatures,  and  placed 
them  where,  by  their  voluntary  rebellion,  they  became 
sinners,  and  exposed  to  endless  death  ;  the  second 
creation  makes  men  saints,  and  prepares  them  to  be 
kings  and  priests  unto  God,  and  to  reign  with  him 
forever  and  ever. 

No  wonder  the  inspired  penman,  in  view  of  it,  broke 
out,  "  Open  to  me  the  gates  of  righteousness  ;  I  will  go 
into  them  and  praise  Jehovah  ;  this  gate  of  Jehovah 
into  which  the  righteous  shall  enter.  I  will  praise 
thee  ;  for  thou  hast  heard  me,  and  art  become  my  sal- 
vation.^^ And  how  was  this  done?  "Behold,  I  lay 
in  Zion,  for  a  foundation,  a  stone,  a  tried  stone,  a 
precious  corner-stone,  a  sure  foundation.  He  that  be- 
lieveth  on  him  shall  not  be  confounded."  This  is  the 
stone  which  was  set  at  nought  of  those  builders,  and 
which  is  become  the  head-stone  of  the  corner.  This 
is  Jehovah's  doing  preeminently,  and  it  is  marvellous 


11 

in  our  eyes.  This  is  the  work  which  excites  their 
highest  admiration,  and  calls  forth  their  loudest  praises. 
And  this  is  the  day  which  the  Lord  hath  made,  on 
which  especially  to  celebrate  this  glory  ;  and  we  will 
rejoice  and  be  glad  in  it. 

O,  give  thanks  unto  Jehovah,  for  he  is  §ood,  for  his 
mercy  endureth  forever.  Who  shall  not  fear  thee,  O 
Lord,  and  glorify  thy  name !  for  thou  only  art  holy^ 
for  all  nations  shall  come  and  worehip  before  thee. 
Blessed  he  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christy  who  hath  blessed  its  loith  all  spiritual  blessings 
in  heavenly  'places  in  Christ;  in  ivhoni  loe  have  re- 
demption through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of  sins 
according  to  the  riches  of  grace,  wherein  he  Jiath 
abounded  towards  ns  ;  that  in  the  dispensation  of  the 
fulness  of  time  he  might  gather  together  in  one  all 
things  in  Christ,  both  lohich  ore  in  heaven,  and  which 
are  on  earth,  even  in  him.  This  was  peculiarly  to  be 
the  theme  for  Christian  celebration,  from  week  to 
week,  on  the  Christian  Sabbath. 

Six  times  in  the  New  Testament  are  the  passages 
concerning  this  foundation  laid  in  Zion  applied,  by 
inspired  men,  to  Jesus  Christ.  He  was  the  stone  set 
at  nought  of  those  builders,  and  by  his  resurrection,  the 
demonstration  of  his  Messiahship,  he  became  the  head- 
stone of  the  corner.  That  was  the  day  which  the 
Lord  had  made,  in  which  sinners  who  should  believe 
on  him  would  rejoice  and  be  glad.  And  they  would 
express  their  joy  in  public  and  devout  thanksgiving. 
Hence,  when  this  is  accomplished,  we  should  not  be 
surprised,  should  they  say,  "  O  come,  let  us  sing  unto 
the  Lord,  and  let  us  make  a  joyful  noise  unto  the  Rock 
of  our  salvation  ;  nor  if  we  hear  them  actually  singing, 

"  This  is  the  day  the  Lord  hath  made  ; 
He  calls  the  hours  his  own  ; 
Let  heaven  rejoice,  let  earth  be  glad, 
And  praise  surround  the  throne. 

"  To-day  he  rose,  and  left  the  dead, 
And  Satan's  empire  fell ; 


To-day  the  saints  his  triumphs  spread, 
And  all  his  wonders  tell. 

"  Hosanna  in  the  highest  strains 
The  church  on  earth  can  raise  ; 
The  highest  heavens,  in  which  he  reigns, 
Shall  give  him  nobler  praise." 

Such  have  actually  been  the  facts.  Ever  since  He 
who  had  power  to  lay  down  his  life,  showed  that  he 
had  power  to  take  it  again,  by  bursting  the  bands  of 
death,  and  rising  triumphant,  leading  captivity  captive, 
his  disciples  have  assembled  on  the  day  of  his  resur- 
rection to  worship  and  adore.  For  eighteen  hundred 
years  has  been  sung,  by  the  church  on  earth,  a  neio 
songj  and  one  which  the  physical  creation  merely 
could  never  inspire. 

"  Thou  art  worthy,  for  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  re- 
deemed us  unto  God,  by  thy  blood,  out  of  every  kin- 
dred, and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation."  This  is 
now  their  practice  ;  and  such  it  will  continue  to  be,  till 
this  song  of  the  church  on  earth  is  swallowed  up  in 
the  song  of  the  church  in  heaven. 

♦'  And  when  their  feeble,  stammering  tongues 
Lie  silent  in  the  grave, 
r/iew,  in  a  nobler,  sweeter  song. 
They'll  sing  his  power  to  save." 

God  has  blessed  this  practice  in  every  age,  and 
made  it  instrumental  in  extending  the  boundaries  of 
his  kingdom,  multiplying  the  number  of  his  subjects, 
and  preparing  them  to  dwell  in  his  presence,  behold 
his  glory,  and  rejoice  in  his  love.  This  number  is  now 
increasing,  and  they  will  continue  to  increase,  till  they 
shall  become  a  multitude  which  no  man  can  number, 
out  of  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  people,  and 
tongue. 

Have  they  done  right  in  this?  And  are  men  now 
doing  right  in  keeping  the  day  of  the  resurrection  of  the 
Savior,  and  the  finishing  of  his  atoning  work  for  their 
salvation,  as  the  Christian  Sabbath  ?  —  the  day  when 


13 

the  business  of  this  world  shall  be  suspended,  and  they 
not  forsake  the  assembling  of  themselves  together 
to  worship  and  adore  Jehovah,  not  as  their  Creator, 
merely,  but  as  their  Redeemer  and  Sanctifier  ?  and  in 
view  of  those  new  heavens  and  new  earth,  which  he 
creates,  and  makes  so  much  more  glorious,  that  the 
former,  in  comparison,  are  hardly  remembered,  or 
come  into  mind  ? 

Have  they  divine  warrant  for  this  practice  ?  Has  it 
been  sanctioned  by  the  Lord  of  the  Sabbath  ?  What 
are  the  facts  ? 

When  he  became  incarnate  for  the  purpose  of  work- 
ing out  for  men  this  great  salvation^  he  was  made 
under  the  law,  which  was  written  by  God  on  tables  of 
stone,  and  proclaimed  by  Moses  to  the  people.  It  be- 
came him,iu  that  condition,  to  fulfil  all  righteousness, 
and  to  yield  obedience  both  to  the  moral  and  to  the 
ceremonial  laws.  He  kept  the  weekly  Sabbath,  on  the 
day  which,  according  to  their  reckoning,  was  the  sev- 
enth ;  and  his  custom  was,  to  go  with  others  into  the 
synagogue  for  worship.  Hence  we  find  him,  on  one 
of  those  occasions,  reading,  in  the  hearing  of  the  peo- 
ple, a  part  of  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  concerning  him- 
self;  and  then,  as  a  public  teacher,  giving  them  in- 
struction with  regard  to  his  character  and  kingdom. 
This  continued  to  be  his  custom  till  his  death  ;  when 
was  fulfilled  in  him  the  prophecy  of  the  Psalmist,  and 
he  was  as  a  stone  set  at  nought  of  those  builders. 
But  after  his  resurrection,  when,  according  to  the  same 
prophecy,  he  became  the  head-stone  of  the  corner,  we 
hear  no  more  of  his  going  into  the  synagogue,  or  any 
other  place  for  public  worship,  on  that  seventh  day^ 
(the  day  in  which  he  had  lain  in  the  grave,)  or  even 
of  his  meeting  with  his  disciples.  It  had  been  to  them 
a  day  of  sadness,  of  darkness,  and  gloom  ;  while, 
although  he  had  all  power,  he  had  suffered  his  body 
to  remain  a  lifeless  corpse  in  the  tomb.  But  on  the 
morning  of  the  first  day  of  the  week  the  darkness  fled 

NO.  II.  2 


14 

away.  The  angel  of  the  Lord  descended  and  rolled 
back  the  stone.  His  countenance  was  like  lightning, 
and  his  raiment  white  as  snow.  For  fear  of  him,  the 
keepers,  who  had  been  stationed  to  prevent  his  rising, 
or  being  stolen  away,  became  as  dead  men.  The 
women  who  assembled  to  anoint  his  body,  are  told 
that  he  is  not  there,  that  he  has  arisen,  and  if  they  go 
into  Galilee,  they  shall  see  him.  But  hardly  have  they 
turned  to  bear  the  tidings,  when  he  meets  them,  say- 
ing, "  All  hail  !"  And  they  hold  him  by  the  feet  and 
worship  him. 

Thus  opened  the  day  which  the  Lord  had  made 
for  this  glorious  consummation,  and  on  which  the 
future  millions  of  his  people,  in  coming  generations, 
would  rejoice  and  be  glad.  The  news  was  soon 
spread  that  he  was  risen,  and  his  disciples  were  at 
the  sepulchre,  but  he  was  not  there.  As  he  died 
for  their  sins,  according  to  the  Scriptures,  so  he 
rose  again  for  their  justification,  according  to  the 
Scriptures.  And  four  times  on  that  day  did  he  appear 
to  his  disciples.  The  last  time  is  recorded  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  with  special  particularity.  "  The  same 
day,  at  evening,  being  the  first  day  of  the  week,  when 
the  doors  were  shut,  where  the  disciples  were  assem- 
bled for  fear  of  the  Jews,  came  Jesus,  and  stood  in  the 
midst  of  them,  and  saith  unto  them,  Peace  be  unto 
YOU.  And  when  he  had  so  said,  he  showed  them  his 
hands  and  his  side.  Then  were  the  disciples  glad, 
when  they  saw  the  Lord.  It  was  the  day  which  he 
had  made,  and  they  began  to  rejoice  and  be  glad  in  it. 
Then  said  Jesus  unto  them  again,  Peace  be  unto 
you.  As  my  Father  hath  sent  me^  eve?i  so  send  I  you. 
And  when  he  had  said  this,  he  breathed  on  them,  and 
said,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost.  Whoseso- 
ever sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  unto  them  ;  and 
whosesoever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained."  Thus, 
according  to  his  promise,  though,  on  account  of  his 
departure,  their  hearts,  on  the  Sabbath  of  the  old  cre- 
ation, had  been  sorrowful,  yet  now,  on  this  day,  which 


15 

commemorates  the  new,  he  meets  them  again,  and 
their  sorrow  is  turned  into  joy,  and  their  joy  no  man 
takes  from  them.  For  he  himself  would  be  with 
them.  And  even  where  two  or  three  only  should  be 
gathered  together  in  his  name,  there  would  he  be,  in 
the  midst  of  them,  to  bless  them. 

Thus,  on  that  first  day,  he  not  only  met  with  his 
disciples, — a  thing  which  we  have  no  account  of  his 
doing,  after  his  resurrection,  on  that  seventh  day, — 
but  he  blessed  them  in  their  meeting,  saying,  "  Peace 
be  unto  you^^''  —  evidently  approving  of  what  they 
were  doing.  And  he  appointed  them  as  his  ambassa- 
dors, to  go  forth  in  his  name,  and  establish  the  new 
dispensation  ;  and  he  gave  them  the  Holy  Ghost,  to 
fit  them  for  their  work  ;  thus  fulfilling  towards  them 
the  great  New  Testament  promise,  and  marking,  in  a 
strong  and  peculiar  manner,  in  his  providence,  and  by 
his  grace,  that  first  day  of  the  week. 

The  resurrection  of  the  Redeemer,  the  assembling 
of  his  disciples,  the  manifestation  of  himself  to  them, 
the  approval  which  he  bestows  upon  them,  the  com- 
mission which  he  gives  them,  the  Holy  Ghost, 
which  he  imparts  to  them,  —  all  give  to  this  day, 
in  view  of  his  disciples,  a  grand  peculiarity,  and 
strongly  mark  it  for  their  future  guidance.  And,  as 
he  has  given  them  the  Holy  Ghost  to  teach  them,  and 
to  bring  all  things  to  their  remembrance,  whatsoever 
he  has  said  unto  them,  and  to  lead  them  into  all 
truth,  as  far  as  is  needful  to  declare  authoritatively  his 
will,  and  adopt  those  practices,  and  establish  those  in- 
stitutions, which  he  will  approve,  —  if  it  is  his  will  that 
his  followers  should  observe  the  first  day  of  the  week 
for  public  worship,  we  may  expect,  when  the  day 
comes,  to  find  those  disciples  together  again.  And 
what  is  the  fact  ?  We  have  no  account  of  any  meet- 
ing during  the  week.  But  after  eight  days,  —  that  is, 
according  to  the  Jewish  mode  of  reckoning,  on  the 
first  day  of  the  week, —  the  disciples  are  assembled  ;  and 
Thomas,  who  was  not  there  before,  is  now  with  them. 


16 

And  then,  too,  though  the  doors  were  shut,  came 
Jesus,  and  stood  again  in  the  midst  of  them.  And 
again  he  said,  "  Peace  be  unto  you."  What  stronger 
marks  of  his  approbation  could  he  give  them? 
or  of  his  sanction  of  the  course  which  they  were 
taking  ? 

And  to  Thomas,  who  had  not  before  seen  him 
after  his  resurrection,  and  who  had  declared  that,  ex- 
cept he  should  see  in  his  hands  the  print  of  the  nails, 
and  put  his  finger  into  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  thrust 
his  hand  into  his  side,  he  would  not  believe,  he  said, 
**  Reach  hither  thy  finger,  and  behold  my  hands,  and 
reach  hither  thy  hand,  and  thrust  it  into  my  side,  and 
be  not  faithless,  but  believing."  And  Thomas  said  unto 
him,  "  My  Lord  and  my  God."  And  he  said,  ''  Thom- 
as, because  thou  hast  seen  me,  thou  hast  believed ; 
blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen  me,  and  yet  have 
believed."  And  many  other  signs  did  Jesus,  in  the 
presence  of  his  disciples,  which  are  not  recorded. 
But  these  are  recorded,  that  men  might  believe,  and 
that,  in  believing,  they  might  have  life  through  his 
name. 

Thus  ended  the  second  first  day  of  the  week.  In 
what  way  could  it  end  more  suitably,  if  that  was,  in 
future,  to  be  the  day  when  his  disciples  were  to  as- 
semble together  in  his  name,  and  he  was  to  meet  with 
them,  and  grant  them  his  blessing  ?  And  what  more 
suitable  than  for  the  Holy  Ghost  to  record,  with  such 
minuteness,  those  meetings  of  Christ  and  his  disci- 
ples, and  what  took  place  at  them,  while  he  says  not 
a  word  of  his  ever  meeting  with  them,  or  even  of 
their  meeting  together  on  that  seventh  day,  during 
all  the  time  of  his  continuance  with  them  on  earth  ? 
They  were  recorded,  and  with  such  minuteness,  for 
our  instruction,  that  we  might  have  all  needed  evi- 
dence of  his  will  in  this  matter,  and  that,  in  follow- 
ing him  and  his  disciples,  whom  he  inspired  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  we  do  not  err. 

All  things,  thus  far,  seem  to  correspond  with  the 


17 

idea  awakened  by  prophecy,  and  realized  in  fact,  that 
this,  and  not  the  old  Sabbath,  commemorating  the 
physical  creation,  when  he  lay  in  the  grave,  and  his 
disciples  in  sadness  were  scattered,  each  one  to  his 
own,  was,  in  future,  to  be  the  day  for  their  religious 
rejoicing  and  praise  —  the  day  when  they  were  to  as- 
semble, and  hear  of  God  in  Christ  reconciling  the 
world  mito  himself;  not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto 
them,  but  forgiving  iniquity,  transgression,  and  sin. 
The  old  state  of  things  was  not,  comparatively,  to  be 
remembered,  or  to  come  into  mind.  The  new  crea- 
tion was  to  occupy  its  place ;  and  the  Church,  and 
her  ministers,  her  ordinances,  her  Sabbaths,  and  her 
worship,  were  all  to  be  organized  with  reference,  not 
principally  to  creation,  but  to  redemption,  and  to  the 
time  when  not  Jews  only,  or  Gentiles,  but  all  flesh, 
should  come  to  worship  before  Jehovah,  and  the 
kingdom  and  dominion,  and  the  greatness  of  the  king- 
dom under  the  whole  heaven,  should  be  given  to  the 
people  of  the  saints  of  the  Most  High  God,  whose 
kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  of  whose  do- 
minion there  is  no  end. 

But  although,  in  meeting  together  on  that  first  day, 
they  were  blessed  by  their  Savior,  and  their  hearts 
were  replenished  by  his  spirit,  yet  they  had  not  re- 
ceived all  things  that  were  needful  to  furnish  them 
thoroughly  to  disciple  all  nations,  and  teach  them  to 
observe  all  things  whatsoever  he  had  commanded 
them.  For  this  they  must  be  miraculously  taught  a 
knowledge  of  the  foreign  languages  in  which  they 
would  be  called  to  preach  and  to  teach  in  his  name ; 
for  this  they  must  wait  at  Jerusalem ;  and  for  this 
they  did  wait,  not  merely  till  the  seventh  day,  as 
might  have  been  expected,  if  that  were  in  future  to 
be  the  day  for  the  special  manifestations  of  his  grace, 
but  till  the  first  day  —  the  day  of  his  resurrection, 
and  of  the  gift  of  his  Spirit. 

Then  suddenly  there  was  a  sound  from  heaven  as 
2* 


18 

of  a  rushing  mighty  wind,  and  it  filled  all  the  house 
where  they  were  sitting.  And  there  appeared  cloven 
tongues  like  as  of  fire,  and  sat  upon  each  of  them  ;  and 
they  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  began  to 
speak  with  other  tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them 
utterance.  Parthians,  Medes,  Elamites,  dwellers  in 
Mesopotamia,  Judea,  and  Cappadocia,  in  Pontus  and 
Asia,  Phrygia  and  Pamphylia,  in  Egypt,  in  parts 
of  Libya  about  Gyrene,  and  strangers  of  Rome, 
Jews  and  proselytes,  Gretes  and  Arabians,  —  all  heard 
them  speak,  each  in  his  own  tongue,  the  wonderful 
works  of  God. 

And  what  were  these  wonderful  works,  which,  on 
that  great  day  of  divine  manifestation,  they  pro- 
claimed ?  Were  they  the  wonders  of  creation  ?  No  ; 
the  wonders  of  redemption ;  the  death  and  res- 
urrection of  the  Savior ;  his  exaltation  to  the 
right  hand  of  God ;  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
in  fulfilment  of  prophecy  —  "I  will  pour  out  my 
spirit  upon  all  flesh  ;  your  sons  and  your  daughters 
shall  prophesy  ;  your  young  men  shall  see  visions, 
and  your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams.  And  on  my 
servants,  and  on  my  hand-maidens,  I  will  pour  out  my 
spirit,  and  they  shall  prophesy.  And  I  will  show  won- 
ders in  heaven  above,  and  signs  in  the  earth  beneath, 
blood,  and  fire,  and  vapor  of  smoke.  The  sun  shall 
be  turned  into  darkness,  and  the  moon  into  blood,  be- 
fore the  great  and  notable  day  of  the  Lord  come. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  whosoever  shall  call 
on  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  he  saved.^^ 

These  were  the  wonderful  works  of  God,  which 
they  proclaimed  —  salvation  through  a  crucified, 
risen,  glorified  Redeemer.  And  what  day  could  be 
more  suited  to  that,  than  the  day  which  God  selected 
for  that  purpose  ?  But  did  he  accompany  their  preach- 
ing on  that  day  with  his  spirit,  and  render  it  efficacious 
to  the  salvation  of  men  ?  Were  those  who  had  been 
born  of  the  flesh,  on  that  day  born  of  the  spirit,  and 


19 

induced  to  live,  henceforward,  not  unto  themselves, 
but  unto  Him  who  died  for  them,  and  rose  again  ? 
What  saith  the  Spirit?  They  were  pricked  in  their 
heart,  and  said  unto  Peter,  and  to  the  rest  of  the 
apostles,  ''Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do?" 
(that  is,  to  be  saved.)  He  said  unto  them,  ''  Repent, 
and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  for  the  remission  of  sins."  They  did  so  ; 
and  the  same  day  were  added  unto  them  three  thou- 
sand souls.  So  mightily,  on  that  first  day  of  the  week, 
grew  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  prevailed. 

What  was  afterward  the  conduct  of  the  apostles  in 
this  matter  ?  They  had  been  commissioned  by  the 
Savior,  and  were  now  furnished  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
to  go  into  all  the  v.^orld  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature.  They  went  out  and  preached  according  to 
his  direction.  And,  as  men  embraced  the  gospel  and 
were  gathered  into  churches,  they  commanded  them 
not  to  forsake  the  assembling  of  themselves  together 
to  worship  God,  to  sing  his  praises,  to  hear  his  gospel, 
to  celebrate  the  Lord's  supper,  and  to  contribute  of 
their  substance  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor.  They 
did  assemble  from  week  to  week,  for  these  purposes. 
On  what  day  did  they  do  this  ?  On  the  seventh  day, 
or  on  the  first,  of  the  Jewish  week  ?  Mosheim  says, 
(vol.  i.  p.  45,)  "In  the  first  century,  all  Christians 
Avere  unanimous  in  setting  apart  the  first  day  of  the 
week,  on  which  the  Savior  arose  from  the  dead,  for 
the  solemn  celebration  of  public  worship.  This  pious 
custom,  which  was  derived  from  the  church  in  Jeru- 
salem, was  founded  upon  the  express  appoiritment  of 
the  apostles,  who  themselves  consecrated  that  day  to 
the  same  sacred  purpose  ;  and  it  was  observed  uni- 
versally, as  appears  from  the  united  testimony  of  the 
most  credible  writers. 

"  The  seventh  day  was  also  observed  as  a  festival, 
not  by  Christians  in  general,  but  by  such  churches 
as  were  principally  composed  of  Jewish  converts." 


20 

That  the  Jews,  the  enemies  and  rejectors  of  the 
Messiah  and  his  salvation,  continued  to  observe  the 
seventh  day  as  the  Sabbath,  is  evident.  And  to  some 
extent,  some  of  them,  and  such  as  followed  them,  con- 
tinued to  do  this  after  they  had  embraced  the  Chris- 
tian religion.  But  at  the  same  time,  even  they  ob- 
served the  first  day  of  the  week  for  Christian  worship. 
Hence  Theodoret,  {Hmret.  Fab.  ii.  i.,)  speaking  of 
the  Ebionites,  a  party  of  Judaizing  Christians, 
says,  "  They  keep  the  Sabbath  according  to  the 
Jewish  law,  and  saiictify  the  Lord's  day  in  like 
manner  as  we  do.^^  "■  This,"  says  Professor  Stuart, 
*'  gives  a  good  historical  view  of  the  state  of  things  in 
the  early  ages  of  the  church.  The  zealots  for  the  law 
wished  the  Jewish  Sabbath  to  be  observed,  as  well  as 
the  Lord^s  day  ;  for  about  the  latter  there  appears  never 
to  have  been  any  question,  among  any  class  of  Chris- 
tians, so  far  as  I  have  bee?i  able  to  discover.  The 
early  Christians,  one  and  all  of  them,  held  the  first 
day  of  the  week  to  be  sacred.^'' 

And  whence  did  they  derive  that  practice,  but  from 
the  apostles  themselves  ?  And  as  they  had  been  ap- 
pointed by  God  and  replenished  with  the  Spirit  for  the 
express  purpose  of  making  known  his  will  in  this  mat- 
ter as  well  as  other  things  pertaining  to  the  establish- 
ment and  welfare  of  the  Christian  church,  we  have  in 
this  the  sanction  of  God  himself  In  observing  the 
first  day  of  the  week  for  religious  worship,  they  fol- 
lowed no  cunningly-devised  fable,  but  the  known  will 
of  their  Lord  ;  and  that  practice  has  been  continued 
in  the  Christian  world  from  that  day  to  this.  So  gen- 
eral was  it,  even  before  the  death  of  the  apostles,  and 
under  their  direction,  that  the  day,  by  way  of  dis- 
tinction, was  called  the  Lord's  day  ;  that  is,  the 
day  especially  devoted  to  his  worship. 

As  the  supper  which  commemorated  his  death  was 
called  "  the  Lord's  supper,"  so  the  day  of  his  resurrec- 
tion, on  which  they  met  for  his  worship,  was  called 


21 

"  the  Lord's  day."  And  so  universal  was  the  habit 
of  observing  it,  that  it  was,  without  explanation,  evi- 
dently understood  at  that  time  throughout  the  Chris- 
tian world. 

Hence  the  apostle  John  says,  "  I  was  in  the 
Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day."  What  day  that  was,  all 
Christians  knew.  It  was  the  day  of  his  resurrection, 
when  they  assembled  to  worship  their  Lord. 

Hence  Ignatius,  bishop  of  Antioch,  A.  D.  101,  only 
about  half  a  dozen  years  after  the  death  of  the  apos- 
tle, speaks  of  the  Lord's  day  familiarly  and  without 
explanations,  as  if  every  body  understood  it.  And  he 
gives  this  title  to  the  first  day  of  the  week  exactly 
after  the  manner  of  the  apostle  himself  "Let  us 
(Christians)  no  more  sabbatize,"  he  says,  (that  is,  keep 
the  seventh  day,  as  the  Jews  did,)  "  but  let  us  keep  the 
Lord's  day."  "Let  every  one  that  loves  Christ  keep 
holy  the  Lord's  day,  the  queen  of  days,  the  resur- 
rection day,  the  highest  of  all  days." 

This  shows  what  was  meant  by  the  Lord's  day  ; 
it  was  the  resurrection  day  ;  and  also  why  it  was 
called  the  Lord's  day.  It  was  the  day  when  Chris- 
tians assembled  for  public  worship,  and.  which  they 
kept  holy,  as  the  Christian  Sabbath. 

Theophilus,  bishop  of  Antioch,  about  A.  D.  162, 
says,  "Both  custom  and  reason  challenge  from  us 
that  we  should  honor  the  Lord^s  day,  seeing  on 
that  day  it  was  that  our  Lord  Jesus  completed  his  res- 
urrection from  the  dead." 

Hence  Irenaeus,  bishop  of  Lyons,  a  disciple  of 
Polycarp,  who  had  been  the  companion  of  the  apos- 
tles, A.  D.  167,  says,  that  the  Lord's  day  was  the 
Christian's  Sabbath.  His  words  are,  "  On  the  Lord's 
day,  every  one  of  us  Christians  keeps  the  Sabbath^ 
meditating  on  the  law,  and  rejoicing  in  the  works 
of  God." 

And  Dionysius,  who  lived  in  the  time  of  Irenaeus, 
in  writing  to  the  Romans,  A.  D.  170,  says,  "We  cele- 


brate  the  Lord's  day  ;  "  and  he  informed  them  that 
the  Epistles  of  Clement,  their  late  bishop,  were  read 
in  the  church  at  Corinth,  *•'  while  they  were  keeping 
the  Lord's  day  holy." 

Clement  of  Alexandria,  A.  D.  192,  says,  "  A  Chris- 
tian, according  to  the  command  of  the  gospel,  observes 
the  Lord's  day^  thereby  glorifying  the  resurrection  of 
the  Lord."  And  again  he  says,  "  The  Lord's  day  is 
the  eighth  day  ;  "  that  is,  according  to  the  Jewish 
reckoning,  on  the  day  that  came  next  after  the  Jewish 
Sabbath,  viz.  the  first  day  of  the  week. 

TertuUian,  about  the  same  time,  says,  ''  The  Lord's 
day  is  the  holy  day  of  the  Christian  church."  "  We 
have  nothing  to  do  with  the  Sabbath,"  (that  is,  the 
Jewish  Sabbath.)  "  The  Lord's  day  is  the  Christian's 
solemnity." 

Such  are  the  testimonies  of  men,  who  knew,  con- 
cerning the  meaning  of  the  Lord's  day,  the  reason  why 
it  received  that  designation,  and  the  manner  in  which 
Christians,  commencing  with  the  apostles,  and  con- 
tinuing for  the  next  hundred  years  after  their  death, 
viewed  and  treated  that  day.  It  was  to  them  a  holy 
day  ;  a  day  for  religious  worship  ;  the  Christian's  Sab- 
bath. And  it  was  with  reference  to  that,  that  the 
apostles  directed  them  not  to  forsake  the  assembling 
of  themselves  together,  as  the  manner  of  some  was, 
but  to  exhort  one  another,  and  so  much  the  more  as 
they  should  see  the  day  of  their  salvation  approaching. 
And  when  the  whole  church  were  come  together  in 
one  place,  he  tells  them  what  to  do,  and  the  manner 
in  which  they  should  do  it.  "  Let  a  man  examine 
himself,  and  so  let  him  eat  of  that  bread,  and  drink 
of  that  cup,"  which  showed  forth  the  Lord's  death. 
That  was  one  part  of  their  business,  on  the  Lord's  day, 
to  partake  of  the  Lord's  supper.  They  were  also  to 
speak  and  to  hear  according  to  the  oracles  of  God; 
that  God  in  all  things  might  be  glorified  through  Je- 
sus Christ.     And  they  were  to  teach  and  admonish  one 


23 

another  in  psalms,  and  hymns,  and  spiritual  songs, 
singing  with  grace  in  their  hearts  unto  the  Lord.  In 
short,  they  were  to  worship  God,  learn  his  will, 
sing  his  praises,  pray  to  him  for  the  blessings  which 
they  needed,  and  commemorate  the  dying  love  of 
Him,  who,  though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  their  sakes 
became  poor,  that  they,  through  his  poverty,  might  be 
rich  ;  and  to  manifest  his  spirit,  by  contributing,  on  those 
occasions,  as  God  should  hav^e  blessed  them,  for  the 
relief  of  their  poor  and  suffering  brethren.  And  such, 
we  learn,  not  only  from  men  who  were  companions 
and  the  immediate  successors  of  the  apostles,  but  from 
the  apostles  themselves,  was  the  fact. 

Hence  Paul  says  to  the  Corinthians,  "Now,  con- 
cerning the  collection  for  the  saints,  as  I  have  given 
order  to  the  churches  of  Galatia,  even  so  do  ye  :  upon 
the  first  day  of  the  week,  let  every  one  of  you  lay  by 
him  in  store,  as  God  hath  prospered  him,  that  there  be 
no  gatherings  when  I  come."  This  laying  by  in 
store  was  not  laying  by  at  home,  for  that  would  not 
prevent  gatherings  when  he  should  come.  This 
could  be  done  only  by  putting  it  into  one  com- 
mon stock,  that  it  might  be  ready  on  his  arrival. 
Why  was  that  to  be  done  regularly  on  the  first  day  of 
each  week  ?  Because  that  was  the  time  when  they  reg- 
ularly assembled  together.  And  it  was  suitable,  when 
they  were  assembled  to  praise  God  for  his  goodness 
and  mercy  to  them,  that  they  should  manifest  some- 
thing of  the  same  spirit,  by  showing  mercy  and  doing 
good  to  others.  It  would  be  a  means  of  cultivating 
a  merciful  spirit  in  themselves,  and  a  good  way  to 
manifest  it  to  their  fellow-men.  It  was  the  conve- 
nient and  proper  time  for  that  object. 

Hence  also  at  Troas,  on  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
when  the  disciples  came  together,  as  their  custom  was, 
to  break  bread,  Paul,  having  tarried,  it  would  seem,  a 
number  of  days  for  that  purpose,  preached  unto  them, 
ready  to  depart  on  the  morrow.     And  it  being  the  only 


24 

opportunity  he  might  have,  he  continued  his  speech 
till  midnight.  After  that,  he  administered  to  them  the 
Lord's  supper,  and   departed,  and  went  to  Mitylene. 

Thus  it  appears  that  they  went,  according  to  their 
commission,  from  city  to  city,  preaching  the  gospel, 
as  they  had  opportunity,  and  teaching  men  to  observe 
all  things  whatsoever  Christ  had  commanded  them. 
And  as  churches  were  gathered,  they,  according  to 
their  directions,  assembled  together  for  the  purpose  of 
hearing  the  gospel,  for  the  breaking  of  bread,  and  for 
prayer ;  for  the  singing  of  praises,  and  making  con- 
tributions for  the  relief  of  the  destitute.  And  in  the 
doing  of  this  they  continued  steadfastly  in  the  apostles^ 
doctrine.  And  as  they  were  the  accredited  ambassa- 
dors of  Christ,  inspired  by  him  to  make  known  infalli- 
bly his  will,  and  establish  things  according  to  it,  in 
the  New  Testament  church,  we  have  in  this  the  sanc- 
tion of  Christ  himself.  And  this  practice,  commen- 
cing with  the  apostles,  continued  not  only  while  they 
lived,  but  after  they  were  dead,  and  extended  not  only 
to  one,  or  to  a  few,  but  to  all  Christian  countries. 
Hence  the  testimony  of  Ignatius  and  Irenseus,  Dio- 
nysius  and  Theophilus,  Clement  and  Tertullian,  and 
others  which  we  have  noticed,  and  all  within  one  hun- 
dred years  of  the  death  of  the  apostle  John,  and  some 
of  them  living  in  the  days  of  the  apostles,  and  must 
have  known,  with  infallible  certainty,  what  were  their 
teaching  and  practice  in  this  matter. 

Hence,  too,  Barnabas,  who,  if  not  a  companion  of 
the  apostles,  lived  in  the  apostolic  age,  says,  "  We  " 
(Christians)  "keep  the  eighth  day,"  (that  is,  the  first 
day  of  the  week,)  "as  a  joyful  holy  day,  on  which 
day,  also,  Jesus  arose  from  the  dead." 

Pliny  the  Younger,  who  was  governor  of  Bi- 
thynia,  A.  D.  107,  not  ten  years  after  the  death  of  the 
apostle  John,  wrote  to  the  Emperor  Trajan,  and  gave 
him  a  statement  of  the  practices  of  the  Christians,  as 
he  had  received  it  from  some  who,  on  account  of  the 


25 

extremity  of  their  sufferings  under  persecution,  had 
apostatized  from  their  religion.  He  says,  ''  They,"  (the 
Christians)  "  were  accustomed,  on  a  stated  day,  to  meet 
before  daylight,  and  to  repeat  hymns  to  Christ,  as  to 
a  God,  and  to  bind  themselves,  by  a  sacred  obligation, 
not  to  commit  any  wickedness,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
to  abstain  from  thefts,  robberies,  and  adulteries ;  also, 
not  to  violate  their  promise,  or  deny  a  pledge ;  after 
which,  it  was  their  custom  to  separate  and  meet  again 
at  a  promiscuous  and  harmless  meal ;  "  that  is,  for 
the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  supper. 

Here,  then,  we  have,  almost  immediately  after  the 
death  of  the  last  apostle,  the  Christians  in  Bithynia 
meeting  on  a  stated  day  for  public  worship,  for  enter- 
ing into  solemn  covenant  with  God,  and  with  one 
another,  and  for  commemorating  the  sacrament  of  the 
supper,  as  they  did  at  Corinth  in  the  days  of  Paul, 
when  he  commanded  them,  ''if  they  wished  to  eat  an 
ordinary  meal  for  the  satisfying  of  hunger,  to  do  it  at 
home,  where,  for  that  purpose,  they  had  houses  to  eat 
and  to  drink  in,  and  that,  when  they  came  together 
to  eat  the  Lord's  supper,  they  should  tarry  one  for 
another,  that  they  come  not  together  to  condemna- 
tion." It  seems  they  came  together  —  that  this  was 
their  custom,  and  on  a  stated  day.  And  what  was 
that  stated  day  ?  We  have  seen,  both  from  the  New 
Testament  and  from  the  Christian  fathers  who  lived 
in  the  second  century,  and  in  the  first  after  the  death 
of  the  apostles,  that  it  was  the  day  of  the  resurrection, 
the  first  day  of  the  week,  the  Lord's  day,  the  Chris- 
tian Sabbath. 

Hence  the  fact,  that  their  persecutors,  when  they 
wished  to  know  whether  men  were  Christians,  were 
accustomed  to  put  to  them  this  question,  viz.  "  Do- 
minicum  servasti  ?  ^^  —  "Hast  thou  kept  the  Lord's 
day  ?  "  If  they  had,  they  were  Christians.  This  was 
the  badge  of  their  Christianity,  in  distinction  from 
Jews  and  pagans.      And  if  they  said  they  had,  and 

NO.    II.  3 


26 

would  not  recant,  they  must  be  put  to  death.  And 
what,  when  they  continued  steadfast,  was  their 
answer  ?  "  Christianus  sum  ;  intermittere  non possum''^ 
—  "I  am  a  Christian  ;  I  cannot  omit  it."  —  It  is  a  badge 
of  my  religion,  and  the  man  who  assumes  it  must  of 
course  keep  the  Lord's  day,  because  it  is  the  will  of 
his  Lord  ;  and  should  he  abandon  it,  he  would  be  an 
apostate  from  his  religion. 

It  was  also  then,  as  it  is  now,  a  standing  evidence 
of  his  resurrection,  the  demonstration  of  his  Messiah- 
ship,  a  testimony  of  their  faith  in  him  as  their  Re- 
deemer, an  emblem  of  the  rest  that  remained  for  them, 
and  a  season  of  special  preparation,  that  they  might 
be  partakers  of  its  joys.  It  was  the  day  when  he 
manifested  himself  to  them,  even  two  or  three  of 
them,  who  were  gathered  together  in  his  name,  and 
took  up  his  abode  with  them,  and  they  commemo- 
rated that  love  to  them  which  was  stronger  than 
death,  which  many  waters  could  not  quench,  and 
which  floods  could  not  drown.  And  so  it  has  been 
ever  since.  "  Christiani  fueru7it ;  intermittere  non 
potuerint.^^ 

Justin  Martyr,  in  his  '^  Apology  for  the  Christians," 
addressed  to  the  Emperor  Antoninus,  A.  D.  147, 
(Apol.  i.  chap.  67,)  gives  the  following  account  of  the 
practice  of  the  Christians  in  his  day  :  "On  the  day 
called"  (that  is,  by  the  Romans)  "  Sunday,  there  is 
a  meeting  in  one  place  of  all  the  Christians  that  live 
either  in  the  towns  or  in  the  country,  and  the  memoirs 
of  the  apostles,"  (that  is,  their  memoirs,  as  is  sup- 
posed, of  the  Savior,  in  the  four  Gospels,)  "or  the 
writings  of  the  prophets,  are  read  to  them,  as  long  as 
is  suitable.  When  the  reader  stops,  the  president  pro- 
nounces an  admonition,  and  exhorts  to  an  imitation 
of  those  noble  examples  ;  after  which,  we  arise  and 
begin  to  pray."  He  then  describes  the  celebration  of 
the  Lord's  supper,  and  the  collection  which  was  taken 
up  for  the  poor,  and   closes   by  mentioning  several 


27 

reasons  why  they  selected  that  day  of  the  week  for 
public  worship.  One  of  them  is,  that  it  was  the  day 
on  which  Jesus  Christ,  our  Savior,  arose  from  the 
dead.  Thus  they  continued  evidently  to  follow  sub- 
stantially the  same  course  which  was  adopted  under 
the  eye,  and  by  the  direction,  of  the  apostles,  as 
shown  by  their  Acts  and  Epistles. 

Ambrose,  bishop  of  Milan,  says,  "  The  Lord's  day 
is  sacred,  or  consecrated,  by  the  resurrection  of 
Christ." 

Augustine  says.  "  The  Lord's  day  was  by  the  resur- 
rection declared  to  Christians  ;  and  from  that  very 
time,  it  began  to  be  celebrated  as  the  Christian  fes- 
tival." 

Athanasius  says,  "  The  Lord  transferred  the  Sab- 
bath to  the  Lord's  day." 

Yet,  as  we  saw  in  the  case  of  the  Ebionites,  some 
—  especially  the  Judaizing  Christians,  and  those  who 
followed  them  —  kept  both  days  as  more  or  less  sa- 
cred. And,  although  this  was  connived  at  for  a  time, 
it  was  not  considered  by  the  most  enlightened  as 
either  needful  or  right.  It  was  not  in  accordance 
with  that  previous  law,  on  which  the  sabbatical  law 
was  founded,  viz.  "  Six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do 
all  thy  work."  And  the  council  of  Laodicea,  about 
the  year  350,  said,  "  Christians  must  not  Judaize," 
(keep  the  Jewish  Sabbath  ;)  "  rather  must  they  prefer 
in  honor  the  Lord's  day,  and,  if  it  be  in  their  power, 
must  rest  in  it,  as  Christians." 

Constantino,  when  he  came  to  the  throne,  A.  D. 
316,  enjoined  the  religious  observance  of  the  Lord's 
day,  not  only  on  all  his  own  household,  but  com- 
manded that  it  should  be  kept  as  a  day  of  rest  through- 
out the  Roman  empire,  with  the  exception  of  what 
he  considered  works  of  necessity.  He  decreed,  also, 
that  the  religious  soldiers  in  his  armies  should  be  per- 
mitted to  perform  their  religious  duties,  on  that  day, 
without  molestation.     This  he  allowed,  also,  to  such 


28 

as  desired  it,  on  the  Jewish  Sabbath.  But  the  ob- 
servance of  the  seventh  day,  though  it  had  been  con- 
nived at,  and  was  by  the  emperor  permitted,  was  not, 
as  we  see  by  the  doings  of  the  council  of  Laodicea, 
considered  to  be  proper ;  and  they  even  went  so  far, 
though  improperly,  as  to  say,  "  If  they  be  found  Ju- 
daists,"  (keeping  the  seventh  day,)  "  let  them  be  ac- 
cursed." Leo,  bishop  of  Rome,  in  behalf  of  the 
church,  about  the  year  440,  said,  ''  We  ordain,  accord- 
ing to  the  true  meaning  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  of  the 
apostles,  as  thereby  directed,  that  on  the  sacred  day 
wherein  our  own  integrity  was  restored,  all  do  rest  and 
cease  from  labor  ;  that  neither  husbandmen  nor  other 
persons  on  that  day  put  their  hands  to  forbidden 
works ;  for,  if  the  Jews  did  so  much  honor  their 
Sabbaths,  which  were  but  a  shadow  of  ours,  are  not 
we,  who  inhabit  the  light  and  truth  of  grace,  bound 
to  honor  that  day  which  the  Lord  himself  hath  hon- 
ored, and  hath  therein  delivered  us  both  from  dis- 
honor and  death  ?  Are  we  not  bound  to  keep  it  sin- 
gular and  inviolable,  well  contenting  ourselves  with 
so  liberal  a  grant  of  the  remainder,  and  not  encroach- 
ing upon  that  one  day  which  God  hath  chosen  to  his 
own  honor  ?  Were  it  not  reckless  neglect  of  religion 
to  make  that  very  day  common,  and  to  think  we  may 
do  with  it  as  with  the  rest  ?" 

Thus  the  keeping  of  the  first  day  of  the  week  as 
the  day  sacred  to  religious  worship,  is  interwoven 
throughout  the  history  of  the  church,  from  the  days 
of  the  apostles ;  and  we  might,  were  it  needful,  con- 
tinue the  history  down  to  the  present  time.  It  was 
in  view  of  such  facts,  that  Mosheim  stated  that,  in 
the  first  century,  all  Christians  were  unanimous  in 
setting  apart  the  first  day  of  the  week  for  public  wor- 
ship, and  that  this  was  founded  upon  the  appointment 
of  the  apostles, —  who  themselves  consecrated  the  day 
to  the  same  sacred  purpose, — and  that  it  was  ob- 
served universally,  as  appears  from  the  united  testi" 


29 

mony  of  the  most  credible  writers.  And  in  this  he 
agrees  with  Eusebius,  the  great  historian  of  the  ancient 
church. 

He  lived  in  the  third  century,  was  a  man  of  vast 
reading,  and  was  as  well  acquainted  with  the  history 
of  the  church,  from  the  days  of  the  apostles,  as  any 
man  of  his  day.  Till  he  was  about  forty  years  old, 
he  lived  in  great  intimacy  with  the  martyr  Pamphi- 
lus,  a  learned  and  pious  man,  of  Cassarea,  and  founder 
of  a  very  extensive  library,  to  which  Eusebius  had 
constant  access.  He  was  a  learned  and  accurate  his- 
torian, and  had  the  aid  of  the  best  helps  for  acquiring 
information  upon  all  subjects  connected  with  the 
Christian  church. 

In  his  "  Commentary  on  the  Psalms,"  he  says, 
"  On  each  day  of  our  Savior's  resurrection,"  (that  is, 
every  first  day  of  the  week,)  "  which  is  called  Lord's 
day,  we  may  see  those  who  partake  of  that  conse- 
crated food,  and  that  body"  (of  Christ)  '^  which  has 
saving  efficacy,  after  the  eating  of  it,  bowing  down  to 
him." 

''I  think  that  he"  (the  Psalmist)  ''describes  the 
morning  assemblies  in  which  we  "  (Christians)  "  are 
accustomed  to  assemble,  throughout  thexDorld.^^  And 
again  : 

'•  By  this  is  prophetically  signified  the  service 
which  is  performed  very  early  and  every  morning  of 
the  resurrection  day,"  (the  first  day  of  the  Aveek,) 
"  throughout  the  whole  worlds 

In  commenting  on  the  ninety-second  psalm,  which 
he  calls  a  psalm  for  the  Sabbath,  and  refers  it  to  the 
Lord's  day,  he  says,  ''It  exhorts  to  those  things 
which  are  done  on  the  resurrection  day."  And,  after 
observing  that  the  sabbatical  law  was  addressed  to 
the  Jews,  and  that  they  often  violated  it,  he  says, 
"  The  Word,"  (Christ,)  "  by  the  new  covenant^  trans- 
lated AND  TRANSFERRED  THE  FEAST  OF  THE  SaB- 
BA,TH      TO     THE     MORNING     LIGHT,      AND     GAVE     US     THE 

3* 


30 

TRUE    REST,    viz.    THE    SAVING    LoRd's    DAY ;     the  fir St^^ 

(day)  "  of  the  light,  in  which  the  Savior  of  the 
world,  after  all  his  labor  among  men,  obtained  the 
victory"  over  death,  and  passed  the  portals  of  heaven, 
having  achieved  a  work  superior  to  the  six  days'  crea- 
tion. 

"  On  this  day,  which  is  the  first  of  light  and  of  the 
true  sun,  we  assemble,  after  an  interval  of  six  days, 
and  celebrate  holy  and    spiritual  Sabbaths,  —  even 

ALL      NATIONS      REDEEMED     BY      HIM     THROUGHOUT     THE 

WORLD,  —  and  do  those  things,  according  to  the  spir- 
itual law,  which  were  decreed  for  the  priests  to  do 
on  the  Sabbath ;  for  we  make  spiritual  offerings  and 
sacrifices,  which  are  called  sacrifices  of  praise  and  re- 
joicing. We  make  incense  of  a  good  odor  to  ascend, 
as  it  is  said,  *  Let  my  prayer  come  up  before  thee  as 
incense.'  We  also  present  the  show-bread,  reviving  " 
(by  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  supper)  "  the  re- 
membrance of  our  salvation,  the  blood  of  sprinkling, 
which  is  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  taketh  away  the  sins 
of  the  world,  and  which  purifies  our  souls." 

Also,  "  We  are  diligent  to  do  zealously,  on  that 
day,  the  things  enjoined  in  this  psalm,  by  word  and 
work  making  confession  to  the  Lord,  and  singing  in 
the  name  of  the  Most  High.  In  the  morning,  with 
the  rising  of  the  light,  Ave  proclaim  the  mercy  of 
God  towards  us,  and  his  truth  by  night,  exhibiting  a 
sober  and  chaste  demeanor.  And  all  things  lohatso- 
ever  that  it  was  the  duty  to  do  on  the  Sabbath,^^ 
(meaning  the  Jewish  seventh  day,)  ''these  we  have 
TRANSFERRED  TO  THE  Lord's  DAY,  as  morc  appropri- 
ately belonging  to  it,  because  it  has  a  precedence,  and 
is  first  in  rank  and  more  honorable  than  the  Jewish 
Sabbath.  For  on  that  day,  in  making  the  world,  God 
said,  '  Let  there  be  light,'  and  there  was  light ;  and 
on  the  same  day"  (the  Lord's  day)  "  the  sun  of 
righteousness  arose  on  our  souls.  Wherefore,  it  is  de- 
livered to  us  that  we  should  meet  together  on  this  day, 


31 

and  it  is  ordered  that  we  should  do  those  things  an- 
nounced in  this  psalm." 

Such,  according  to  his  testimony,  was  the  course 
of  Christians  throughout  the  world.  And  he  adds, 
''that  this  scripture  teaches  that  we  are  to  spend  the 
Lord's  day  in  leisure  for  religious  exercises,  and  in 
cessation  and  vacation  from  all  bodily  and  mortal 
works,  —  which  the  Scripture  calls  Sabbath  and 
rest.'' 

It  is  not  to  be  forgotten,  that  this  testimony  comes 
from  the  great  ancient  historian  of  the  church,  who  had 
searched  more  thoroughly  into  its  customs  and  antiqui- 
ties than  any  other  man  in  the  early  ages.  And  it  is 
decisive,  as  are  the  other  testimonies,  as  to  the  reli- 
gious observance  of  the  Lord's  day  ;  and  they  carry 
back  the  practice  to  the  days  of  the  apostles.  As 
we  have  seen,  it  was  the  practice  of  the  apostles 
themselves,  under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  of  the  Christians  in  their  day,  who  followed  their 
direction,  and  imitated  their  example.  Of  course  it 
has  the  sanction  of  the  Holy  Ghost  himself.  As  such 
it  has  been  continued  in  the  true  church  of  God  to 
the  present  time.  It  is  the  original  institutio?i,  es- 
tablished i7i  paradise,  and  enjoined  in  the  moral  laio, 
in  its  spirit,  its  essential  features,  and  its  ends.  It 
commemorates  still  the  wonders  of  creation,  and,  in 
addition,  the  greater  wonders  of  redemption  ;  and  for 
that  reason,  it  was  transferred,  by  the  Lord  of  the 
Sabbath,  to  the  day  of  his  resurrection,  when  he 
broke  the  silence  of  the  tomb,  and  rose  the  acknowl- 
edged Conqueror  of  earth  and  hell,  and  the  pledge  of 
the  resurrection  and  eternal  life  of  his  people.  That 
was  the  day  which  he  had  made,  in  which  they  were 
to  rejoice  and  be  glad.  Then  he  met  with  his  dis- 
ciples, as  they  were  assembled  together,  spoke  peace 
to  their  souls,  and  gave  them  his  Spirit.  Then, 
in  fulfilment  of  prophecy,  and  of  the  great  New  Tes- 
tament promise,  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  upon  them 


33 

in  tongues  of  fire,  and  furnished  them  to  go  forth  unto 
all  nations,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature. 
On  that  day,  to  the  first  sermon  he  gave  such  power, 
that  three  thousand,  and  among  them  crucifiers,  were 
converted  to  God.  On  that  day,  in  all  ages,  when  his 
people  have  assembled  to  pray,  hear  the  gospel,  cele- 
brate his  love,  and  communicate  for  the  benefit  of  the 
poor,  whom  they  have  always  had  wit?i  them,  that, 
whenever  they  would,  they  might  do  them  good,  he 
has,  by  his  Spirit,  met  with  them,  —  even  with  two  or 
three  thus  gathered  in  his  name,  —  and  has  blessed 
them.  And  so  he  will  continue  to  meet  with  those 
who  on  that  day  assemble  to  worship  Him  who  is  a 
Spirit,  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  and  will  manifest  himself 
to  them,  and  take  up  his  abode  with  them,  so  that  they 
shall  dwell  in  him,  and  he  in  them. 

Through  his  mighty  power  and  abounding  grace, 
their  numbers  will  continue  to  increase,  and  increase, 
till,  in  the  language  of  the  prophet,  "  from  Sabbath  to 
Sabbath,  all  flesh  shall  come  and  worship  before  Je- 
hovah." For,  as  the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth 
which  he  creates  shall  remain,  so  shall  their  seed  and 
their  name  remain  ;  and,  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to 
the  going  down  of  the  same,  the  Creator,  Redeemer, 
and  Sanctifier  of  men  shall  be  praised,  and  the  whole 
earth  be  full  of  his  glory,  as  the  waters  fill  the  seas. 
And  great  voices  will  be  heard,  saying,  "  The  king- 
doms of  this  world  are  become  the  kingdom  of  our 
God  and  his  Christ." 

Then  men  will  labor  six  days  in  a  week,  and  rest  on 
the  seventh  day.  In  it  they  will  not  do  any  work,  nor 
will  their  children,  or  servants,  or  cattle,  or  the  stran- 
ger that  is  under  their  control,  except  as  the  appro- 
priate duties  of  the  Sabbath  may  require.  But  they 
will  say,  "  O,  come,  let  us  worship  ;  let  us  kneel  and 
bow  down  before  the  Lord  our  Maker,  for  we  are  the 
sheep  of  his  pasture,  and  the  people  of  his  hand." 
"  Let  us  enter  his  gates  with  thanksgiving,  and  tread 


his  courts  with  praise."  ''  O,  come,  let  us  sing  unto 
the  Lord,  and  make  a  joyful  noise  unto  the  Rock  of 
our  salvation."  And  the  rising  anthem  will  greet 
the  morning  sun  from  the  farthest  shores  of  Japan, 
and  be  echoed  by  millions  on  millions,  as  he  passes 
over  China  and  Hindostan,  Europe,  Africa,  Amer- 
ica, and  the  western  isles ;  while  New  Holland- 
er and  Hindoo,  Arab  and  Turk,  Hottentot  and  Ta- 
heitan,  with  every  islander  of  every  sea,  and  all  on 
earth,  and  all  in  heaven,  who  have  washed  their  robes 
and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  will 
swell  the  chorus,  "  Unto  him  that  loved  us,  and  hath 
washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,  and  hath 
made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father 
to  him  be  glory  and  dominion  forever  and  ever." 

But  it  is  asked.  Did  not  our  Savior,  when  warning 
his  disciples  concerning  their  escape  from  Jerusalem, 
say,  ''  Pray  ye  that  your  flight  be  not  in  the  winter, 
neither  on  the  Sabbath  day,"  meaning  the  Jewish  Sab- 
bath ?  He  did;  and  the  reason  was,  some  might 
have  scruples  about  the  lawfulness  of  travelling  on 
that  day,  as  far  as  it  might  be  needful,  in  order  to 
make  their  escape.  And  as  the  Jews  were  so  tena- 
cious of  the  external  observance  of  their  Sabbath,  that 
they  would  even  suff*er  themselves  to  be  cut  in  pieces, 
by  their  enemies,  rather  than  defend  themselves  on 
that  day,  the  disciples  might  find  it  difficult,  if 
not  impossible,  to  travel  among  them,  and  thus  be 
hindered  from  making  their  escape.  The  direction 
was  therefore  pertinent  and  kind,  though  their  custom 
was,  to  meet  for  public  worship  on  the  Lord's  day. 

It  is  again  asked,  Did  not  the  apostle  go  into  the 
synagogue,  and  preach  on  the  Sabbath?  and  did  not 
the  Gentiles,  on  one  occasion,  after  the  Jews  were 
gone,  request  him  to  preach  to  them  the  next  Sab- 
bath ?  and  on  the  next  Sabbath,  did  not  almost  the 
whole  city  come  together  to  hear  the  word  of  God  ? 
And  did   he   not,  on  another  occasion,  go  out  to  the 


34 

side  of  a  river,  where  prayer  was  wont  to  be  made, 
and,  on  the  Sabbath,  speak  to  the  women  that  resorted 
there?  And  when  at  Corinth,  did  not  Paul  reason  in 
the  synagogue  every  Sabbath,  and  persuade  both  Jews 
and  Greeks?  He  did.  And  it  all  shoAVs,  what  no  one 
who  is  enlightened  doubts,  that  the  Jews  met  together 
on  that  day,  and  that  Gentiles  sometimes  met  with 
them.  And  the  apostles  embraced  those  occasions,  as 
good  ministers  would  now,  to  preach  the  gospel. 

It  was  a  good  opportunity  for  doing  it.  But  this  is 
perfectly  consistent  with  all  that  has  been  said  about 
their  observing  the  Lord's  day.  Missionaries  now, 
among  Jews  and  pagans,  preach  on  any  day,  when 
the  people  assemble,  and  are  willing  to  hear  ;  though 
they  meet  for  public  worship,  and  keep  sacred  the  first 
day  of  the  week. 

The  Jewish  converts,  and  those  who  followed  them, 
kept  for  a  time,  with  more  or  less  strictness,  the  sev- 
enth, as  well  as  the  first  day,  and  the  apostles  did  not 
at  once  forbid  it.  They  directed,  as  they  did  with 
regard  to  some  other  things,  that  they  should  avoid 
harsh  judgments  of  other  Christians,  and  whereunto 
they  had  attained,  walk  by  the  same  rule  and  mind  the 
same  things,  with  the  expectation  that  in  time  God 
would  give  them  more  light,  and  lead  to  still  further 
agreement. 

But  does  not  the  apostle  say,  that  under  the  gospel 
there  was  to  be  no  distinction  of  days,  and  that  all 
Sabbaths  were  to  be  done  away  ?  No  ;  he  says  no 
such  thing  ;  though  this  has  sometimes  been  attrib- 
uted to  him. 

Under  the  Jewish  dispensation  were  incorporated 
two  kinds  of  laws.  One  was  founded  on  obligations 
growing  out  of  the  nature  of  men,  and  their  relations 
to  God  and  one  another ;  obligations  binding  before 
they  were  written,  and  which  will  continue  to  be 
binding  upon  all  who  shall  know  them  to  the  end  of 
time.      Such  are  the  laws  Avhich  were  written  by  the 


finger  of  God  on  the  tables  of  stone,  and  arc  called 
moral  laivs. 

The  other  kind,  called  ceremonial  laws,  related  to 
various  outward  observances,  which  were  not  obliga- 
tory  till  they  were  commanded,  and  then  were  bind 
ing  only  on  the  Jews,  till  the  death  of  Christ. 

There  were  also  two  kinds  of  Sabbaths,  or  days  of 
rest.  One  was  a  day  of  loeekly  rest ;  and  the  com- 
mand to  keep  it  holy  was  placed  by  the  Lawgiver  in 
the  midst  of  the  m,oral  laws.  It  was  called,  by  way 
of  eminence,  "  The  Sabbath."  The  command  to 
keep  the  other  Sabbaths  was  placed  by  the  Lawgiver 
among  the  ceremonial  laws,  because  it  was  likeiheva., 
as  the  command  to  keep  the  weekly  Sabbath  was  like 
the  laws  with  which  it  was  associated.  One  class 
were  fundamental,  permanent,  universal,  moral  laios  ; 
the  other  class  were  local,  temporary,  ceremonial  laws. 
One  had  their  origin  in  the  nature  and  relations  of 
man,  the  other  in  the  peculiar  circumstances  in 
which,  for  a  time,  a  peculiar  people  were  placed. 
One  would  be  binding  in  all  ages  upon  all  who  should 
know  them,  and  the  other  would  be  binding  only 
upon  the  Jews,  till  the  death  of  the  Messiah. 

The  Jews,  at  the  coming  of  Christ,  being  in  a  state 
of  great  spiritual  darkness  and  grievous  apostasy 
from  God,  did  not  well  understand  the  nature  and  ob- 
jects of  their  laws.  Often  they  overlooked  the  spirit, 
and  were  superstitiously  devoted  to  the  forms.  Some, 
after  they  embraced  the  gospel,  thought  that  the  cer- 
emonial, as  well  as  the  moral,  laws  were  binding. 
Others,  more  enlightened,  thought  that  they  were  not. 
This  led  to  contention  among  them.  Paul,  in  the 
fourteenth  chapter  of  Romans,  presented  such  consid- 
erations as  were  adapted  to  lead  them,  in  this  matter, 
to  a  right  decision. 

''  One  man,"  he  says,  "  esteemeth  one  day  above 
another.  Another  esteemeth  every  day  alike.  Let 
every  man  be  fully  persuaded  in  his  own  mind.     He 


36 

that  regardeth  the  day,  regardeth  it  unto  tlie  Lord  ; 
and  he  that  regardeth  not  the  day,  to  the  Lord  he 
doth  not  regard  it."  Both  mean  to  honor  God,  and 
he  will  accept  them.  But  what  day  does  he  speak 
of?  ''The  Sabbath"  of  the  fourth  commandment, 
associated  by  God  inseparably  with  the  moral  laws  1 
Read  the  connection.  What  is  it  ?  One  man  believ- 
eth  that  he  must  worship  Jehovah  ;  another,  who  is 
weak,  worshippeth  idols?  One  believeth  that  he 
must  not  commit  murder,  adultery,  or  theft,  and 
another  thinks  he  may  ?  Were  those  the  laws  about 
which  they  were  contending  ?  and  with  which  were 
connected  the  days  that  he  speaks  of?  No  ;  about 
those  laws  there  was  no  dispute. 

But,  "  One  believeth  that  he  may  eat  all  things," 
(which  are  nourishing,  whether  allowed  in  the  ceremo- 
nial law,  which  regulated  such  things,  or  not ;)  "another, 
who  is  weak,  eateth  herbs.  Let  not  him  that  eateih 
despise  him  that  eateth  not ;  and  let  not  him  that 
eateth  not  judge  him  that  eateth,  for  God  hath  re- 
ceived him."  Those  were  the  laws  about  which 
they  were  contending,  and  with  regard  to  which  the 
apostle  was  giving  them  instruction.  It  was  not  the 
morale  but  the  ceremonial^  laws  ;  and  the  days  spoken 
of  were  those  which  were  connected,  not  with  the 
former,  but  with  the  latter. 

So  in  the  second  chapter  of  Colossians  —  "  Let  no 
man  judge  you  in  meat  or  in  drink,  or  in  respect  of 
a  holy  day,  or  of  the  new  moon,  or  of  the  Sab- 
baths." The  Sabbaths  spoken  of  are  not  "the  Sab- 
bath" associated  with.  Thou  shalt  not  commit  mur- 
der, or  adultery,  or  theft,  but  the  Sabbaths  associated 
with  meats  and  drinks,  and  new  moons,  which  were, 
indeed,  shadows  of  things  to  come.  But  to  take  what 
he  said  about  those  Sabbaths,  which  were  associated 
by  God  with  ceremonial  laws,  and  which  the  apostle 
himself,  in  this  very  discourse,  associates  with  them, 
and  apply  it,  as  some  have  done,  to  "  the  Sabbath" 
which  God  associated  with  moral  laws,  is  wrong. 


37 

"  Blotting  out,"  he  says,  "  the  hand-writing  of  ordi- 
nances that  was  against  us,  which  was  contrary 
to  us,  nailing  it  to  his  cross."  Bat  the  day  of 
weekly  rest  from  the  business  and  cares  of  this  world, 
for  the  purpose  of  worshipping  God,  and  promoting 
the  salvation  of  souls,  is  never  spoken  of  in  the  Bible 
as  being  against  men,  or  contrary  to  them.  No  ;  it 
always  was,  and  always  will  be,  for  them.  That 
Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  not  against  him. 

Miracle  after  miracle  was  wrought  by  the  Lord  of 
the  Sabbath,  to  enable  his  ancient  people  to  keep  it  ; 
and  whenever  and  wherever  it  is  duly  kept,  it  is  a 

"  Day  of  all  the  days  the  best, 
Emblem  of  eternal  rest." 

It  commemorates  creation  and  redemption,  and  cele- 
brates the  wondrous  works  of  their  Author.  Its  ob- 
servance is  required,  not  only  by  the  Bible,  but  by  the 
nature  of  both  man  and  beast.  To  take  what  the 
apostle  has  said  about  those  Sabbaths  associated  by 
God  —  and  by  Paul  himself,  also,  in  the  very  dis- 
course in  question  —  with  ceremonial  laws,  and  apply 
it  to  "the  Sabbath,"  about  which  he  was  not  speak- 
ing, and  which  God  has  associated  with  moral  laws, 
is  utterly  ivrong.  No  honest  lawyer,  that  understands 
his  business,  will  ever  interpret  laws  in  that  way. 
Concerning  those  "  carnal  ordinances "  which  the 
apostle  speaks  of,  which  were  agaiiist  men,  and  which 
stood  in  meats  and  drinks,  and  new  moons,  and  divers 
washings,  sabbaths,  and  other  things,  which  were 
not  designed  to  be  permament,  we  say,  with  Paul, 
"  Touch  not,  taste  not,  handle  not." 

While,  with  regard  to  spiritual  ordinances,  ''  the 
Sabbath,^^  and  the  moral  law,  of  which  it  forms  an 
inseparable  part,  we  say,  and  we  feel  with  the  Lord 
of  Paul,  "  It  was  made  for  man."  The  Savior 
came  not  to  destroy  that  law,  but  to  fulfil  it;  and,  in 
preaching  the  gospel,  neither  he,  nor  Paul,  nor  any 
minister  who  preaches  like  them,  ever  makes  void  that 

NO.  II.  4 


38 

law,  but  always  establishes  it.  And  till  heaven  and 
earth  pass  away,  it  will  not  pass  away.  (See  Appe7i- 
dix. ) 

God  sent  his  Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and 
for  sin,  not  that  the  moral  law  should  be  abolished, 
but  that  the  righteousness  of  the  law  should  be  ful- 
fuUed  in  them  that  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after 
the  Spirit.  And  thus  only  will  the  law  of  the  spirit 
of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  make  them  free  from  the  law 
of  sin  and  death.  Thus  it  has  been,  and  thus  it  will 
be.  Those  men,  wherever  found,  will  delight  in  the 
law  of  the  Lord  after  the  inward  man.  God,  accord- 
ing to  his  promise,  will  write  it  upon  their  hearts,  and 
they  will  have  respect  to  all  his  commandments.  The 
Sabbath  will  be  to  them  a  delight.  The  holy  of  the 
Lord  will  be  honorable,  and  they  will  honor  him  by 
devoting  the  day,  not  to  purposes  of  worldly  business, 
travelling,  or  amusement,  but  to  his  worship,  and  to 
the  spiritual  good  of  men. 

Says  the  celebrated  Dr.  Chalmers,  "  We  never,  in 
the  whole  course  of  our  recollections,  met  with  a 
Christian,  who  bore  upon  his  character  every  other  evi- 
dence of  the  Spirit's  operation,  who  did  not  remember 
the  Sabbath  day,  and  keep  it  holy.  We  appeal  to  the 
memory  of  all  the  worthies  who  are  lying  in  their 
graves,  that,  eminent  as  they  were  in  every  other 
grace  and  accomplishment  of  the  new  creature,  the 
religiousness  of  their  Sabbath  day  shone  with  equal 
lustre  amid  the  fine  assemblage  of  virtues  which 
adorned  them.  In  every  Christian  household,  it  will 
be  found  that  the  discipline  of  a  well-ordered  Sab- 
bath is  never  forgotten  among  the  old  lessons  of  a 
Christian  education ;  and  we  appeal  to  every  individ- 
ual who  now  hears  us,  and  who  carries  the  remem- 
brance in  his  bosom  of  a  father's  worth  and  a  father's 
piety,  if,  on  the  coming  round  of  the  seventh  day,  an 
air  of  peculiar  sacredness  did  not  spread  itself  over 
that  mansion  where  he  drew  his  first  breath,  and  was 


39 

taught  to  repeat  his  infant  hymn,  and  Hsp  his  infant 
prayer.  Rest  assured  that  the  Christian,  having  the 
love  of  God  written  in  his  heart,  and  denying  the 
Sabbath  a  place  in  his  affections,  is  an  anomaly  that 
is  nowhere  to  be  found.  Every  Sabbath  image,  with 
every  Sabbath  circumstance,  is  dear  to  him.  He 
loves  the  quietness  of  that  hallowed  morn.  He  loves 
the  church-bell  sound,  which  summons  him  to  the 
house  of  prayer.  He  loves  to  join  the  chorus  of  de- 
votion, and  to  sit  and  listen  to  that  voice  of  persuasion 
which  is  lifted  in  the  hearing  of  an  assembled  multi- 
tude. He  loves  the  retirement  of  this  day  from  the 
din  of  worldly  business  and  the  inroads  of  worldly 
men.  He  loves  the  leisure  it  brings  along  with  it ; 
and  sweet  to  his  soul  is  the  exercise  of  that  hallowed 
hour,  when  there  is  no  eye  to  witness  him  but  the  eye 
of  Heaven,  and  when,  in  solemn  audience  with  the 
Father,  who  seeth  him  in  secret,  he  can,  on  the 
wings  of  celestial  contemplation,  leave  all  the  cares 
and  all  the  secularities  of  an  alienated  world  behind 
him." 

And  sweet  especially  is  the  hour  when  his  com- 
munion and  fellowship  are  truly  with  the  Father 
and  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  Then,  in  joyful  anticipa- 
tion of  the  time  when,  with  the  general  assembly  and 
church  of  the  first-born,  whose  names  are  written  in 
heaven,  he  shall  see  Him  as  he  is,  and  be  like  Him, 
his  joy  may  emphatically  be  said  to  be  full.  And 
in  the  keeping  of  his  Sabbaths,  with  their  attendant 
means  of  grace,  and  in  the  discharge  of  the  various 
and  appropriate  duties  of  life,  God  will  guide  him  by 
his  counsel,  and  afterward  receive  him  to  glory ;  and 
then  he  will  raise  him  from  glory  to  glory  to  endless 
ages. 


40 


OPINIONS 

OF 

LUTHER,    MELANCTHON,    CALVIN, 

AND    OTHER    REFORMERS, 

CONCERNING  THE  CHRISTIAN  SABBATH. 


The  writings  of  the  reformers  have  sometimes  been 
quoted  by  opposers  of  the  Christian  Sabbath,  as  if  they  were 
in  opposition  to  the  views  of  evangelical  Christians  at  the 
present  day.  Thus,  in  the  Augsburg  Confession,  drawn  up 
by  Melancthon,  (A.  D.  1530,)  and  sanctioned  by  Luther,  it  is 
said,  "  They  who  think  that  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  day 
was  instituted  by  the  church  in  the  place  of  the  Sabbath,  as  a 
necessary  things  do  completely  err.  Scripture  grants  that  the 
doctrine  of  the  Sabbath  now  is  free  ;  for  it  teaches  that,  since 
the  introduction  of  the  gospel.  Mosaic  ceremonies  are  no 
longer  necessary."  The  mistake  here  was  in  speaking  of  the 
weekly  Sabbath  as  if  it  belonged  to  Mosaic  ceremonies,  and 
was  confined  to  them.  But,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  foregoing 
documents,  the  fact  was,  it  belonged  to  the  moral  law. 
The  command  to  remember  it,  and  to  keep  it,  was  placed  by 
God  with  the  commands,  "  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of 
the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain,"  "  Thou  shalt  honor  thy  father  and 
thy  mother,"  and  "  Thou  shalt  not  kill."  The  reason  why 
it  was  placed  there  was,  it  was  like  them. 

Calvin  says,  "  When  certain  days  are  represented  as  holy 
in  themselves,  when  holy  days  are  reckoned  as  a  part  of  di- 
vine worship,  these  days  are  improperly  observed."  And 
again  :  "  We  do  not  reckon  one  day  to  be  more  holy  than 
another."  His  meaning  was,  that  he  did  not  reckon  it  to  be 
more  holy  in  itself,  not  that  he  did  not  think  it  to  be  proper 
to  devote  one  day  in  seven  especially  to  sacred  purposes. 
Similar  expressions  may  be  found  in  the  writings  of  other 
reformers. 

The  fact  was,  their  attention  was  not  particularly  called  to 
the  subject  of  the  Sabbath,  to  the  difference  between  ceremo- 
nial and  moral  laws,  and  between  the  Jewish  and  the  Chris- 
tian dispensation.  They  were  occupied  principally  with  the 
doctrines  of  the  gospel ;  especially  depravity,  regeneration^ 


41 

justification  by  faith  and  not  by  works,  the  sufficiency  of  the 
Scriptures  as  a  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  and  other  kindred 
doctrines.  They  paid  very  little  attention  to  many  important 
subjects,  and  among  others,  to  the  Sabbath.  A  few  minutes 
would  suffice  to  read  all  that  they  ever  wrote  about  it,  espe- 
cially about  its  moral  nature  and  permanent  obligation. 

Besides,  as  the  gigantic  system  of  error  and  corruption, 
against  which  they  were  called  to  contend,  consisted  much  in 
a  superstitious  observance  of  days  and  forms,  they  were  led, 
in  the  heat  of  contest,  to  speak  sometimes  disparagingly  of 
all  days  and  forms.  That,  together  with  their  other  error 
above  mentioned,  will  account  for  the  manner  in  which  they 
sometimes  speak  of  the  Christian  Sabbath. 

The  false  methods  of  salvation  by  works  and  outward  ob- 
servances, which  the  Papists  had  inculcated,  and  which  had 
ruined  such  multitudes,  led  the  reformers  sometimes  to  repre- 
sent all  outward  observances  as  worthless;  but  they  meant 
when  placed  as  a  substitute  for  Jesus  Christ,  and  depended  on 
for  salvation.  But  they  did  not  mean  that  they  were  all  to  be 
dispensed  with,  as  some  isolated  passages  of  their  writings, 
taken  out  of  their  connection,  might  seem  to  imply.  Hence, 
in  the  Augsburg  Confession,  difference  of  days,  and  distinc- 
tions of  food,  are  classed  together  as  things  about  which  so 
many  false  opinions  had  been  entertained,  that,  "  although 
they  were  in  themselves  indifferent,  they  had  become  no 
longer  so." 

Hence  Melancthon,  in  his  defence  of  that  Confession,  says, 
"  The  apostles  did  not  wish  us  to  consider  such  rites  as  neces- 
sary to  our  justification  before  God."  They  did  not  wish  that 
righteousness  and  sin  should  be  placed  in  the  observation  of 
days,  of  food,  and  such  things.  And  Calvin  says,  "  There 
ought  to  be  amongst  Christians  no  superstitious  observance  of 
days."  We  say  the  same.  But  the  question  is.  What  is  the 
superstitious  observance,  and  what  is  the  proper  observance 
of  days  } 

Similar  expressions  are  often  found  in  the  writings  of  the 
reformers,  and  they  are  easily  accounted  for.  They  were 
educated  Papists  ;  and,  situated  as  they  were,  the  wonder  is, 
not  that  they  did  not  inculcate  more  truth,  but  that  they  were 
enabled,  through  grace,  to  inculcate  so  much.  They  were 
nobly  reformed  with  regard  to  many  things,  while,  with  regard 
to  other  things,  they  needed  still  further  reformation.  This 
was  the  case,  in  some  respects,  with  regard  to  the  Sabbath ; 
4* 


42 

and  the  great  battle  concerning  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel 
having  been  fought  and  gained  by  the  Continental  reformers, 
the  next  generation,  especially  in  Scotland  and  England,  had 
more  time  to  apply  those  doctrines  to  practical  purposes. 
The  consequence  was,  they  gained  higher  and  better  views 
of  many  things,  and  among  them  of  the  Christian  Sabbath. 
Great  Britain  and  America  are  now  feeling  the  benefit  of  that 
fact,  while  the  whole  Protestant  church  on  the  Continent  is 
suffering  from  the  errors,  with  regard  to  the  Sabbath,  under 
which  the  first  reformers  lived  and  died.  Errors  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  Sabbath  —  that  great  fundamental  institution  for 
giving  efficacy  to  moral  government  —  they  undoubtedly  had  ; 
but  they  were  not  such  as  Sabbath-breakers  often  represent. 
They  had  no  such  views  on  the  subject  as  would  lead  them  to 
justify  devoting  the  day  to  secular  business,  travelling,  or 
amusement.  Their  error  respected  one  of  the  grounds  on 
which  the  obligation  to  observe  the  Sabbath  rests,  or  one  of 
the  reasons  why  all  men  should  keep  it.  It  was  not  incon- 
sistent with  their  believing,  and  it  did  not,  in  fact,  pre- 
vent their  believing,  that  it  is  the  duty^  the  right,  and  the 
privilege  of  men  to  devote  one  day  in  seven  especially  to  the 
worship  of  God  and  the  promotion  of  the  spiritual  good  of 
men.  They  loved  the  Sabbath  themselves,  and  delighted  in 
its  holy  duties,  thus  showing  the  work  of  the  law  written  upon 
their  hearts.  They  inculcated  the  same  duty  upon  others, 
and  maintained  that  men  ought  to  consecrate  the  whole  day 
to  sacred  purposes.  Sabbath-breakers,  when  they  understand 
the  subject,  will  find  the  opinion  of  the  reformers,  in  the  days 
of  Luther  and  Calvin,  as  well  as  that  of  evangelical  Chris- 
tians in  our  day,  to  be  against  them. 

Concerning  the  Lord's  day,  Luther  himself  says,  "  Keep 
it  holy,  for  its  use  sake  both  to  the  body  and  the  soul."  He 
would  have  it  kept  holy,  on  account  of  the  benefits  of  thus 
keeping  it  to  the  bodies  and  the  souls  of  men.  We  would 
have  men  keep  it  holy  for  the  same  reason,  and  also  because 
it  is  the  will  of  God  that  they  should.  It  was  making  the  day 
holy  for  the  mere  day''s  sake  that  Luther  opposed.  It  was 
the  Papal  idea  of  holy  days ;  and  he  expressed  a  preference 
that  it  should  be  employed  even  in  amusements,  rather  than 
that  it  should  be  kept  in  that  way,  for  its  own  sake  merely, 
and  in  superstitious  reliance  on  it  for  salvation.  But  he  was 
not  opposed  to  its  being  kept,  as  Irenaeus  says  that  the  Chris- 
tians in  his  day  kept  it,  viz. :  "  On  the  Lord's  day  every  one  of 


43 

us  Christians  keeps  the  Sabbath,  meditating  on  the  law,  and 
rejoicing  in  the  works  of  God."  It  was  his  delight  to  keep  it 
in  that  manner ;  and  he  actually  kept  the  day  holy  himself. 
And  what  he  meant  was,  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  not  meat 
and  drink,  that  there  is  no  inherent  sanctity  in  days  and  out- 
ward observances,  separate  from  the  use  which  is  made  of 
them,  and  the  object  that  is  accomplished  by  them ;  while  he 
and  the  other  reformers  believed  that  the  glory  of  God  and 
the  good  of  men  required  that  secular  business,  travelling,  and 
amusement,  should  be  suspended,  and  one  day  in  a  week  be 
devoted  to  sacred  jjurposes,  as  the  Sabbath. 

Hence  Luther  says,  "  If  Adam  had  continued  in  innocence, 
he  would  have  kept  the  seventh  day  sacred.  After  the  fall, 
he  kept  that  day  sacred,  for  he  taught  his  children  on  it,  as  is 
testified  by  the  offerings  of  his  sons,  Cain  and  Abel.  There- 
fore the  Sabbath  was,  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  ap- 
pointed to  the  iDorship  of  God.'*'* 

And  Calvin  says,  "  Every  seventh  day  was  peculiarly  set 
apart.  God,  therefore,  first  rested,  then  he  blessed  that 
rest.  That  h  might  be  sacred  among  men  through  all  coining 
ages,  he  consecrated  each  seventh  day  to  rest,  that  his  own 
example  might  continually  serve  as  a  rule.  The  end  is  always 
to  be  kept  in  view.  God  did  not  simply  command  men  to 
spend  every  seventh  day  in  leisure,  as  if  he  delighted  in  idle- 
ness, but  that,  being  discharged  from  all  other  employments, 
they  might  the  more  freely  direct  their  minds  to  the  Creator 
of  the  world.  It  is  a  sacred  call,  withdrawing  men  from  the 
entanglements  of  the  world,  that  they  may  yield  themselves 
wholly  to  God.  Afterwards,  in  the  law,  a  new  precept  was 
given  concerning  the  Sabbath,  which  was  peculiar  to  the 
Jews,  and  to  them  only  for  a  time ;  for  it  was  a  legal  cere- 
mony, adumbrating  a  spiritual  rest,  of  which  the  truth  ap- 
peared in  Christ.  Therefore  the  Lord  frequently  testifies 
that  he  gave  it  to  his  own  ancient  people,  as  a  sign  of  sanctifi- 
cation.  So,  when  we  are  told  that  the  Sabbath  was  abolished 
by  the  coming  of  Christ,  we  must  distinguish  lohat  belonged 
to  the  perpetual  guidance  of  human  life,  and  what  was  pecu- 
liar to  the  ancient  figures,  which  were  no  longer  needed  when 
the  truth  was  fulfilled.  Spiritual  rest  is  the  mortification  of 
the  flesh,  that  the  children  of  God  may  no  more  live  unto 
themselves,  or  gratify  their  own  will.  So  far  as  the  Sabbath 
prefigured  that,  I  say  it  was  temporal ;  but,  as  being  enjoined 
on  men  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  that  they  might  exer- 


44 

cise  themselves  in  the  worship  of  God,  it  undoubtedly  ought 
to  continue,  even  to  the  end,  of  the  worhV 

Such  was  the  opinion  of  Calvin.  When  he  speaks  of  the 
fourth  commandment  as  being  ceremonial,  or  as  being  abol- 
ished, he  never  means  that  there  were  not  other  and  good 
reasons  for  keeping  the  Sabbath,  before  the  ten  command- 
ments were  written  on  the  tables  of  stone,  and  reasons  which 
continued  through  the  Jewish  dispensation,  and  which  will 
continue  to  the  end  of  time ;  while  he  supposed  that  there 
were  some  reasons  which  were  peculiar  to  the  Jews.  It  was 
in  those  respects  only  which  he  viewed  as  peculiar  to  them, 
that  he  speaks  of  it  as  abolished,  not  in  the  general  aspects 
which  apply  to  all  the  world. 

Hence  he  says,  "  What  was  said  before  as  to  the  rite  of 
keeping  holy  day  being  the  figure  of  a  spiritual  and  impor- 
tant mystery,  and  that  the  precept  is,  on  that  account,  to  be 
regarded  as  a  ceremonial  one,  is  not  to  be  understood  as  if 
there  were  not  other  and  different  ends  of  it.  Unquestionably, 
God  assumed  to  himself  the  seventh  day,  and  consecrated  it 
when  he  finished  the  creation  of  the  world,  that  he  might  keep 
his  worshippers  entirely  free  from  all  other  cares,  while  they 
were  employed  in  meditating  on  the  beauty,  excellence,  and 
splendor  of  his  works."  "  Because  our  minds  are  unstable,  and 
are  thence  liable  to  wander  and  be  distracted,  God,  in  his 
own  mercy,  consulting  our  infirmity,  sets  apart  one  day  from 
the  rest,  and  commands  it  to  he  kept  free  from  all  earthly 
cares  and  employments,  lest  any  thing  should  interrupt  that 
holy  exercise.  For  this  reason  he  did  not  simply  wish  each 
to  rest  at  home,  hut  also  to  meet  in  the  sanctuary,  that  they 
might  there  attend  to  prayers  and  sacrifices,  and  might  make 
progress  in  spiritual  instruction,  from  the  interpretation  of  the 
law.  In  this  respect,  the  necessity  of  a  Sabbath  is  common  to 
us  with  the  people  of  old,  that  ive  may  be  free  on  one  day"^"* 
(of  the  week,)  "  and  so  may  be  better  prepared  both  for  learn- 
ing and  for  giving  testimony  to  the  faiths 

The  decalogue  he  calls  "  the  moral  law,"  "  the  rule  of  per- 
fect righteousness,"  and  gives  as  a  reason  why  it  is  set  up  in 
writing  before  us,  '-'■  that  it  might  testify  with  more  certainty 
what,  in  the  law  of  nature,  was  too  obscure,  and  might  more 
vividly,  as  by  a  palpable  form,  strike  our  mind  and  memory." 
So  Bullinger  says,  "  Sabbath  signifies  rest,  and  is  taken  for 
that  day  which  is  consecrated  to  rest.  But  the  observance  of 
that  day  was  not  invented  and  brought  forth  for  the  first  time 


45 

by  Moses,  when  he  introduced  the  law  ;  for  in  the  decalogue 
it  is  said,  '  Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy ; ' 
thereby  admonishing  them  that  it  was  of  ancient  institution." 

Such  was  the  language  of  the  reformers.  They  consid- 
ered the  ten  commandments  as  moral,  illustrating  moral  du- 
ties ;  duties  growing  out  of  the  nature  of  man,  binding  before 
they  were  written,  and  written  to  make  them  more  plain  and 
impressive.  The  law  of  the  Sabbath  they  considered  as  one 
of  them,  and  binding  on  men  from  the  creation,  and,  as  a 
moral  duty,  to  the  end  of  the  world.  It  was  also,  as  were  the 
other  moral  laws,  incorporated  into  the  Jewish  economy,  as 
moral  laws  must  be  into  every  economy.  But  it  was  only  the 
aspect  in  which  they  thought  the  fourth  commandment  was 
Jewish^  and  not  that  which  they  considered  as  moral.,  that  they 
speak  of  it  as  abolished.  This,  by  many  Sabbath-breakers, 
who  claim  affinity  with  them,  has  been  overlooked. 

Hence  Melancthon  says,  "  In  this  commandment  there  are 
properly  said  to  be  two  parts — the  one  natural,  the  other  moral, 
the  one  the  genus,  the  other  the  species."  Of  the  former  it  is 
said,  that  the  natural  part  or  genus  is  perpetual,  "  and  can- 
not be  abrogated." 

And  Luther  says,  "  It  is  still  good,  and  even  necessary.,  that 
men  should  keep  a  particular  day  in  the  week  for  the  sake  of 
the  word  of  God,  on  which  they  are  to  meditate,  hear,  and 
learn  ;  for  all  cannot  command  every  day,  and  nature  requires 
that  one  day  in  a  week  should  be  kept  quiet,  without  labor 
either  for  man  or  beast.'''* 

And  Calvin,  after  stating  that,  even  among  the  Jews,  the 
Sabbath  was  not  designed  merely  to  prefigure  spiritual  rest, 
but  was  also  designed  to  afford  opportunity  for  respite  from 
labor,  and  for  engaging  in  religious  exercises,  adds  that 
"  these  two  latter  reasons  ought  not  to  be  numbered  among  the 
shadows.,  but  alike  concern  all  ages.''''  And  he  afterwards 
speaks  of  "  the  apostle  having  retained  the  Sabbath,"*^  so  far 
keeping  up  the  distinction  ;  and  the  danger  of  superstition  be- 
ing almost  taken  away  by  the  substitution  of  another  day  of 
the  week  for  religious  purposes,  instead  of  that  which  the  Jews 
held  to  be  peculiarly  sacred. 

This  shows  what  were  Calvin's  fears,  viz.,  that  they  would 
superstitiously  observe  days  and  forms  as  if  they  were  in 
themselves  inherently  holy ;  while  he,  and  Melancthon,  and  Lu- 
ther, all  thought  it  right,  and  a  duty,  to  devote  one  day  in 
seven  especially  to  holy  duties. 

Beza  calls  the  first  day  of  the  week  "  the  Lord's  day,"  on 


46 

which  he  says  Christians,  in  the  days  of  the  apostles,  "  were 
accustomed  to  hold  their  own  regular  meetings,  as  the  Jews 
were  wont  to  meet  in  the  synagogue,  on  the  Sabbath,  for  the 
purpose  of  showing  that  the  fourth  commandment  was  ceremo- 
nial as  far  as  it  respected  the  particular  day  of  rest,  and  the 
legal  services  ;  but  that,  as  regards  the  worship  of  God,  it  was 
a  precept  of  the  moral  laio,  lohich  is  perpetual  and  unchanging^ 
during  the  present  life.  That  day  of  rest  had  stood,  indeed, 
from  the  creation  of  the  world  to  the  resurrection  of  our  Lord, 
which,  being  as  another  creation  of  a  new  spiritual  world, 
(according  to  the  language  of  the  prophets,)  was  made  the 
occasion  (the  Holy  Spirit,  beyond  doubt,  directing  the  apos- 
tles) for  assuming,  instead  of  the  Sabbath  of  the  former  age,  or 
the  seventh  day,  the  first  day  of  the  world,  on  which  not  the 
corporeal  and  corruptible  light  created  on  the  first  day  of  the 
old  world,  BUT  this  heavenly   and   eternal  light,  hath 

SHONE  UPON  us." 

In  his  view  the  ceremonial  part  of  the  fourth  commandment 
consisted  in  the  particular  day,  while  the  moral  part  required 
one  day  in  seven  to  be  set  apart  for  the  worship  of  God. 

So  Ursinus,  the  friend  of  Melancthon,  says,  "  That  the  first 
part  of  the  command  (that  which  enjoins  the  keeping  holy  of 
a  seventh-day  Sabbath)  is  moral  and  perpetual,  appears  from 
the  end  of  the  institution,  and  the  reasons  assigned  for  it, 
which  are  perpetual.  They  relate  to  no  definite  period,  but 
to  all  times  and  ages  of  the  world.  It  follows  that  God  wished 
to  bind  men,  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  even  to  its  end, 
to  keep  a  certain  Sabbath." 

But  how  did  the  reformers  think  that  the  Sabbath  ought  to 
be  kept  ?  Although  all  supposed  that  the  day  should  be  de- 
voted to  public  worship  and  religious  duties,  did  they  think 
that  there  should  be,  when  not  engaged  in  religious  worship, 
entire  cessation  of  labor  and  secular  concerns  .''  On  these 
points  some  of  them  speak  as  if  to  abstain  entirely  from 
worldly  business  would  be  to  Judaize*  It  should  not  be 
forgotten,  however,  that  they  thought  that  the  Jews  were  pro- 
hibited even  from  all  preparation  of  food,  and  from  the  kin- 
dling of  a  fire.  But  the  Jews  were  never  blamed  for  preparing 
needful  food,  or  kindling  a  fire,  or  doing  any  work  of  neces- 
sary mercy.  And  when  the  disciples  of  our  Lord  were  ac- 
cused of  violating  the  Sabbath,  because  they,  in  crossing  a 

*  See  Fairbairn,  on  the  opinions  of  the  reformers,  of  which  free 
use  has  been  made  in  this  article. 


47 

field,  rubbed  out,  and  ate  for  the  supply  of  hunger,  a  little 
grain,  he  vindicated  them,  on  the  ground  of  a  necessity  simi- 
lar to  that  which  justified  David  in  partaking  of  the  show-bread 
and  the  priests  in  ministering  at  the  altar.  So,  when  he  was  ac- 
cused of  breaking  the  Sabbath  by  healing  the  sick,  he  appealed 
to  what  they  did  for  the  refreshment  and  relief  of  their  cattle. 

Thus  he  showed  them  that  works  of  necessary  mercy,  and 
those  which  were  required  for  the  discharge  of  the  appropri- 
ate duties  of  the  Sabbath,  were  not  forbidden  by  the  sabbati- 
cal law.  And  in  objecting  to  such  lawful  things,  the  Jews 
showed  that  they  had  degenerated  from  the  spirit,  and  become 
superstitiously  devoted  to  the  forms. 

Still,  some  of  the  reformers  sometimes  speak  of  the  Jews 
being  forbidden  to  engage  in  any  worldly  employvient^  or  to 
bear  a  burden  for  any  purpose  ;  and  of  Christians  as  being  re- 
leased, to  some  extent,  from  the  prohibition  of  labor.  But  that 
their  views  were  not  what  has  sometimes  been  ascribed  to 
them  is  evident  from  their  writings.  Calvin  says,  "  I  grant  it 
(the  Sabbath)  as  the  bark  of  a  spiritual  substance,  the  use  of 
which  is  still  in  force,  of  denying  ourselves,  of  renouncing  all 
our  own  thoughts  and  affections,  and  of  bidding  farewell  to  all 
our  own  employments,  so  that  God  may  reign  in  us,  then  of  em- 
ploying ourselves  in  the  worship  of  God,  learning  from  his 
vvord,  in  which  is  to  be  found  our  salvation,  and  of  meeting 
together  to  make  a  public  profession  of  our  faith  ;  all  of  which 
differs  from  the  Jewish  shadows,  for  it  was  so  servile  a  work 
to  the  Jews,  that  they  were  bound  on  one  day  of  each  week 
to  abstain  from  all  vjork,  so  that  it  was  even  a  capital  offence 
to  gather  wood  or  bear  a  burden." 

In  another  place  he  says,  "  The  Sabbath  should  be  to  us  a 
tower,  whereon  we  should  mount  aloft  to  contemplate  afar  the 
works  of  God,  when  we  are  not  occupied  or  hindered,  by  any 
thing  besides,  from  stretching  forth  all  our  faculties  in  consid- 
ering the  gifts  and  the  graces  which  he  has  bestowed  on  us. 
And  if  we  properly  apply  ourselves  to  do  this  on  the  Sabbath, 
it  is  certain  we  shall  be  no  strangers  to  it  during  the  rest  of  our 
time,  and  that  this  meditation  shall  have  so  formed  our  mirids, 
that  on  Monday  and  the  other  days  of  the  week  we  shall  abide 
in  the  grateful  remembrance  of  them." 

"  It  is  our  duly  to  devote  ourselves  wholly  to  God,  renoun- 
cing ourselves,  our  feelings,  our  affections,  and  then,  since  we 
have  this  external  ordinance,  to  act  as  becomes  us,  that  is,  to 
lay  aside  our  earthly  affairs  and  occupations,  so  that  loe  may 
■>- -    ,-.,%^7^  f^gg  ^^   meditate   on   the  works  of  God;   may 


48 

exercise  ourselves  in  considering  the  gifts  which  he  has  af- 
forded us,  and,  ahove  all,  may  apply  ourselves  to  apprehend 
the  grace  which  he  daily  offers  us  in  his  gospel,  and  may  be 
more  and  more  conformed  to  it.  And  when  we  have  em- 
ployed the  Sabbath  in  praising  and  magnifying  the  name  of 
God,  and  meditating  his  works,  we  must  through  the  rest  of 
the  week  show  that  we  have  profited  thereby." 

And  Viret,  one  of  Calvin's  colleagues,  says,  "  Since  we 
have  from  God  every  thing  we  possess,  —  soul,  body,  and  out- 
ward estate, — we  ought  never  to  do  any  thing  else,  all  our  lives, 
than  what  he  requires  of  us,  for  the  true  and  entire  sanctifi- 
cation  of  the  day  of  rest.  Nevertheless,  we  see  that  he  as- 
signs and  permits  us  six  days  for  doing  our  own  business,  and 
of  the  seven  he  reserves  for  himself  only  one,  as  if  he  had 
contented  himself  with  the  seventh  part  of  the  time,  which  was 
specially  given  up  and  consecrated  to  him,  and  that  all  the 
rest  was  to  be  ours.  What  ingratitude  is  it,  if,  in  yielding  us 
six  parts  of  the  seven  which  we  owe  him,  we  do  not,  at  the 
least,  strive  with  all  our  power  to  surrender  the  other  part, 
which  he  exacts  of  us  as  a  token  of  our  fidelity  and  homage  !  " 
And  in  regard  to  devoting  such  portions  of  the  day  as  are 
not  occupied  in  public  worship  to  secular  concerns,  he  says, 
"  Since  we  are  permitted  all  other  days  of  the  week,  except- 
ing this,  to  attend  to  our  bodily  concerns,  it  seems  to  me  we 
hold  very  cheap  the  service  of  God,  and  the  ministry  of  the 
church,  on  which  we  ought  to  wait  more  diligently  on  that  day 
than  on  any  other,  if  we  cannot  find  means  for  employing  one 
whole  day  of  the  week  in  things  which  God  requires  of  us 
upon  it ;  for  they  are  of  such  weight  and  consequence  that  we 
must  take  care  in  every  manner  possible  lest  we  occupy  our- 
selves with  any  thing  that  might  turn  our  attention  elsewhere." 

And  Bucer,  the  friend  of  both  Luther  and  Calvin,  says, 
"Since  God,  with  singular  goodness  toward  us,  has  sanctified 
one  day  out  of  seven  for  the  quickening  of  our  faith,  and  so  of 
life  eternal,  and  blessed  that  day,  that  the  sacred  exercises  of 
religion,  performed  on  it,  might  be  effectual  to  the  promoting 
of  our  salvation,  he  verily  shows  himself  to  be  a  wretched 
despiser  of  his  own  salvation,  and  of  the  wonderful  kindness 
of  our  God  -toward  us,  and  therefore  utterly  unworthy  of  our 
living  among  the  people  of  God,  who  does  not  study  to  sanc- 
tify that  day  to  the  glorifying  of  his  God  and  the  furthering  of 
his  own  salvation,  especially  since  God  has  granted  us  six 
days  for  our  works  and  employments,  by  which  we  may  sup- 
port a  present  life  to  his  glory." 


49o 

And  with  reference  to  the  maintenance  of  daily  family 
prayer,  he  asks,  — 

"  Who,  therefore,  does  not  see,  how  advantageous  it  is  to 
the  people  of  Christ,  that  one  day  in  seven  should  be  so  con- 
secrated to  the  exercises  of  rehgion,  that  it  is  not  lawful  (fas) 
to  do  any  other  kind  of  work  than  assembling  in  the  sacred 
meeting,  and  there  hear  the  word  of  God,  pour  out  our 
prayers  to  God,  make  profession  of  faith,  and  give  thanks  to 
God ;  present  sacred  offerings,  receive  divine  sacraments, 
and  so,  with  undivided  application,  glorify  God  and  make  in- 
crease in  faith  ?  For  these  are  the  true  works  of  religious 
holy  days." 

And  Melancthon,  in  his  Catechism,  numbers  among  the  vio- 
lations of  the  sabbatical  law,  as  now  obligatory,  "  spending  the 
day  in  feasts  and  sports,  not  in  pious  meditation,  (for  as  we 
ought  on  the  .sacred  day  to  wait  upon  the  solemnities,  and  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel  in  public,  so  we  must  take  heed  that 
we  be  sober,  and  in  a  fit  state  for  pious  meditation,)  the  lead- 
ing away  of  others  by  our  example  from  the  public  solemni- 
ties, and  giving  occasion  to  them  for  thinking  lightly  concerning 
these,  the  obstinate  performance  of  works  which  form  imped- 
iments to  the  ministry  of  the  word  and  religious  services." 

So  Ursinus,  in  his  Catechism,  says,  "  The  Sabbath  is  sanc- 
tified when  holy  works^such  as  God  commands  to  be  done,  are 
performed  on  that  day.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  profaned 
when  either  holy  works  are  neglected,  or  profane  works  are 
engaged  in,  tending  to  impede  the  ministry  and  contrary 
to  those  works  that  belong  to  sanctification." 

Thus  it  appears,  contrary  to  what  some  insulated  passages 
from  their  writings  would  seem  to  indicate,  that  they  incul- 
cated the  duty  of  keeping  the  Lord's  day  holy,  not  in  part 
only,  but  wholly  as  a  sacred  day  ;  not  devoting  it  to  needless 
worldly  business,  but  to  rest  and  spiritual  employments,  to  at- 
tendance on  public  worship,  and  the  performance  of  the  various 
duties  which  would  promote  their  sanctification  and  salvation. 

In  the  language  of  Fairbairn,  (to  whose  work  all  are  re- 
ferred who  wish  for  a  more  full  view  of  the  opinions  of  the 
reformers,)  "  It  appears,  then,  upon  a  full  and  careful  exam- 
ination of  the  whole  matter,  that  the  reformers  and  the  most 
eminent  divines,  for  about  a  century  after  the  reformation, 
were  substantially  sound  upon  the  question  of  the  Sabbath,  in 
so  far  as  concerns  the  obligation  and  practice  of  Christians. 
A  very  large  proportion  of  them  held  that  the  fourth  com- 
mandment strictly  and  morally  binds  men,  in  every  age,  to 

NO.    II.  5 


50 

set  apart  one  whole  day  in  seven  for  the  immediate  worship 
and  service  of  God.  They  all  held  the  institution  of  the  Sab- 
bath at  the  creation  of  the  world,  and  as  a  primeval  ordinance 
carrying  with  it,  through  all  coming  ages  of  the  world,  an 
obligation  to  cease  every  seventh  day  from  the  works  proper 
to  the  other  six  days  of  labor,  and  to  hallow  it  as  a  portion 
of  time  peculiarly  connected  with  the  glory  of  God.  Finally, 
they  held  it  to  be  the  duty  of  all  sound  Christians  to  use  the 
Lord's  day  as  a  Sabbath  of  rest  to  him,  —  withdrawing  them- 
selves, not  only  from  sin  and  vanity,  but  also  from  those 
worldly  employments  and  recreations  which  belong  only  to  a 
present  life,  and  yielding  themselves  wholly  to  the  public  ex- 
ercises of  God's  worship,  and  to  the  private  duties  of  devo- 
tion, excepting  only  in  so  far  as  any  urgent  call  of  necessity 
or  mercy  might  come  in  the  way  to  interrupt  them.  We 
avow  this  to  be  a  fair  and  faithful  representation  of  the  senti- 
ments of  those  men  upon  the  subject,  after  a  patient  consid- 
eration of  what  they  have  written  concerning  it.  We  trust  we 
have  furnished  materials  enough  from  their  writings  for  en- 
abling the  Christian  public  to  concur  intelligently  in  that  repre- 
sentation ;  and  they  will  henceforth  know  how  to  estimate  the 
assertions  of  those,  who,  after  glancing  into  the  works  of  the 
reformers,  and  picking  up  a  few  partial  and  disjointed  state- 
ments, presently  set  themselves  forth  as  well  acquainted  with 
the  whole  subject,  and  as  fully  entitled  to  say,  that  the  re- 
formers agree  with  them  in  holding  men  atliberty,  if  they  only 
went  to  church,  to  work,  or  travel,  or  enjoy  themselves  as  they 
please,  on  other  }»arts  of  the  Sabbath.  Such  persons  may  be 
honest  in  representing  this  as  the  mind  of  the  reformers ;  but 
it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  their  credit  for  honesty  in  this 
matter  rests  upon  no  better  ground  than  that  of  ignorance  and 
presumption. 

"  There  has  been  a  wonderful  agreement  among  all  serious 
and  godly  men,  in  every  age,  regarding  the  spiritual  and  de- 
vout observance  of  the  Sabbath  ;  and  whenever  great  talents 
and  learning  have  been  combined  with  genuine  and  devoted 
piety,  the  practical  result  has  been  the  same,  whatever  differ- 
ences may  have  sometimes  existed  as  to  the  precise  moral 
import  of  the  fourth  commandment.  The  keeping  of  the 
weekly  Sabbath  as  a  day  of  bodily  rest  from  the  cares  and 
turmoils  of  life,  and  of  undistracted  application  to  the  public 
and  private  duties  of  God's  service,  they  have  ever  delighted 
in  as  an  ordinance  of  life  and  refreshment  to  themselves,  and 
regarded  sis  essential  to  the  very  being  of  vital  religion  in  a 


51 

community.  They  have  ever  identified  the  neglect  or  dese- 
cration of  the  Sabbath  with  the  dishonor  of  God  and  the  de- 
cay of  piety.  Viret,  who  differed  from  the  majority  of  his 
brethren  in  regard  to  the  fourth  commandment,  not  consider- 
ing the  moral  part  of  it  to  stand  in  the  obligation  to  keep  holy 
one  day  in  seven,  not  only  held  the  existence  of  such  an  ob- 
ligation on  other  grounds,  and  gave  directions,  as  we  have 
seen,  for  its  proper  discharge,  but  also  deplored  the  prevailing 
disregard  of  the  day,  as  one  of  the  crying  evils  of  the  times, 
and  laments  its  frequent  desecration  by  worldly  employments 
and  sinful  pleasures.  Vitringa  (on  Isa.  Iviii.  13)  raised  the 
same  lamentation  in  his  day.  And  Cowdrey  (in  his  treatise 
on  the  Sabbath,  published  in  1652,  p.  652)  tells  us  that  the  prof- 
anation of  the  Lord's  day  was  so  notorious  then  among  the 
Lutheran  churches,  and  so  much  a  matter  of  concern  to 
their  best  ministers,  that  they  could  not  help  regarding  it  as 
one  of  the  great  provocations  of  the  wrath  that  had  lately  be- 
fallen them.  In  short,  what  Owen  said  of  the  most  pious  divines 
of  England  in  his  day,  may  be  regarded  as  of  universal  applica- 
tion to  such  divines  in  all  countries:  '  For  my  part,  I  must  not 
only  say,  but  plead,  whilst  I  live  in  this  world,  and  leave  this 
testimony  to  the  present  and  future  ages,  that,  if  ever  I  have 
seen  any  thing  of  the  ways  and  worship  of  God,  wherein  the 
power  of  religion  or  godliness  hath  been  expressed ;  any 
thing  that  hath  represented  the  holiness  of  the  gospel,  and 
the  Author  of  it ;  any  thing  that  looked  like  a  prelude  to  the 
everlasting  Sabbath,  and  rest  with  God,  which  we  aim  through 
grace  to  come  unto,  —  it  hath  been  there,  and  with  them,  where, 
and  among  whom,  the  Lord's  day  hath  been  held  in  highest 
esteem^  and  a  strict  observation  of  it  attended  unto,  as  an  ordi- 
nance of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  remembrance  of  their 
ministry,  their  walking  and  conversation,  their  faith  and  love, 
who  in  this  nation  have  most  zealously  pleaded  for,  and  have 
been  in  their  persons,  families,  parishes,  or  churches,  the 
most  strict  observers  of  this  day, —  will  be  precious  with  them 
that  fear  the  Lord,  whilst  the  sun  and  moon  endure.  Their 
doctrine  also  in  this  matter,  with  the  blessing  that  attended  it, 
was  that  which  multitudes  now  at  rest  do  bless  God  for,  and 
many  that  are  yet  alive  do  greatly  rejoice  in.  Let  these 
things  be  despised  by  those  who  are  otherwise  minded ;  to 
me  they  are  of  great  weight  and  importance.' 

"  It  were  wrong  to  bring  our  remarks  on  this  subject  to  a 
close,  without  pointing  to  the  solemn  lesson  furnished  both  to 
private  Cliristians  and  to  the  church  at  large,  by  the  melan- 


52 

choly  consequences  which  soon  manifested  themselves  as  the 
fruit  of  that  one  doctrinal  error  into  which  some  reformers  did 
certainly  fall  regarding  the  Sabbath.  For,  though  there  was 
much  in  their  circumstances  to  account  for  their  falling  into 
it,  and  though  it  left  untouched,  in  their  opinion,  the  obligation 
resting  on  all  Christians  to  keep  the  day  of  weekly  rest  holy 
to  the  Lord,  —  yea,  though  some  of  them  seemed  to  think 
that  one  day  in  seven  was  scarcely  enough  for  such  a 
purpose,  —  yet  their  view  about  the  Sabbath  of  the  fourth 
commandment  as  a  Jewish  ordinance,  told  most  unfa- 
vorably upon  the  interests  of  religion  on  the  continent.  I 
have  no  doubt  that  this  was  the  evil  root  from  which  chiefly 
sprung,  so  soon  afterwards,  such  a  mass  of  Sabbath  desecra- 
tion, and  which  has  rendered  it  so  difficult  ever  since  to  re- 
store the  day  of  God  to  its  proper  place  in  the  feelings  and 
observances  of  the  people.  So  long  as  men  of  such  zeal  and 
piety  as  the  reformers  kept  the  helm  of  affairs,  their  lofty 
principles,  and  holy  lives,  and  self-denying  labors,  rendered 
their  error  meanwhile  comparatively  innoxious.  But  a  colder 
age  both  for  ministers  and  people  succeeded ;  when  men  came 
to  have  so  little  relish  for  the  service  of  God,  and  were  so 
much  less  disposed  to  be  influenced  by  the  privileges  of  grace, 
than  to  be  awed  by  the  commands  and  terrors  of  law,  that 
the  loss  of  the  fourth  commandment,  which  may  be  said  to  be 
the  only  express  and  formal  revelation  of  law  upon  the  sub- 
ject, was  found  to  be  irreparable.  The  other  considerations, 
which  were  sufficient  to  move  such  men  of  faith  and  piety 
as  the  reformers,  fell  comparatively  powerless  upon  those 
who  wanted  their  spiritual  life.  Strict  and  positive  law  was 
what  they  needed  to  restrain  them,  which  being  now  in  a 
manner  removed,  the  religious  observance  of  the  day  of  God 
no  longer  pressed  upon  them  as  a  matter  of  conscience. 
The  evil,  once  begun,  proceeded  rapidly  from  bad  to  worse, 
till  it  laid  fearfully  waste  the  heritage  of  God,  and  scarcely 
left  in  many  places  so  much  as  the  form  of  religion.  No 
doubt  many  other  causes  were  at  work  in  bringing  about  so 
disastrous  a  result ;  but  much  was  certainly  owing  to  the  error 
in  question.  And  it  reads  a  solemn  and  impressive  warning 
to  both  ministers  and  people,  not  only  to  resist,  to  the  utmost, 
all  encroachments  upon  the  sanctity  of  the  Lord's  day,  but  also 
to  beware  of  weakening  any  of  the  foundations  on  which  the 
obligation  to  keep  that  day  is  made  to  rest ;  and  here,  as  well 
as  in  other  things,  to  seek  with  Leighton,  that  they  may  "  be 
saved  from  the  errors  of  wise  men,  yea,  and  of  good  men." 


THIRD 

PERMANENT    DOCUMENT 

OF    THE 

5lmcrtcan  anb  Ioycxqw  SabbatI)  Hnlon. 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

The  great  Object  of  the  Sabbath,. .  .9 
Two  great    fundamental    Institu- 
tions, the  Family  and  the    Sab- 
bath  9 

Both  established  at  the  Creation,.  .9 
Both  made  for  Man,  and  adapted 

to  his  Nature, 9 

Not  good  for  Man  to  be  alone,. . .  .9 
The     "Help-meet"    which     God 

made  for  him, 10 

The  Reason  why  he  made  but  one.  10 
The  Object   of   making   her,   and 

giving  her  to  the  Man, 10 

Its  Effect  on  him, 10 

Some  not  satisfied  with  God's  Ar- 
rangements,   11 

Reasons  why  for  a  Time  God  suf- 
fered them  to  depart  from  it,..  11 
Regulations  to   lessen  the  Effects 
of    Wickedness  no   Sanction  of 

that  Wickedness, 11 

Children  the  Property  of  God,....  12 
The  Object  of  committing  them  to 

Parents, 12 

The  official  Character  of  Parents,.  13 
The  primary  Lesson  of  Moral  Gov- 
ernment,     13 

The  Manner  of  teaching  it  to  Chil- 
dren,   13 

All    Children   of  Common    Sense 

can  learn  it, 14 

God's  Way  of  teaching  it  the  best 

Way, 14 

The  Dictate  of  the  Heart  of  God,  16 
Family  Government  a  divinely-ap- 
pointed Means  of  Grace, 17 

Its  Effect  on  the  Conscience,  ....17 
An  Introduction  to,  and   Prepara- 
tion for  the  Government  of  God,  18 
Sources  and  Mode  of  verbal    In- 
struction,   18 

The   Voice    of  Nature 18 

The  Teaching  of  Revelation,...  .19 
The    Influence  of  Facts  from   the 

Works  and  Word  of  God, 19 

The  Influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  21 
Given   by   God  to   those  that  ask 

him,    21 

The  Failure  of  a  Man's  Salvation 
his  own  Fault, 22 


Page. 

The  Right,  the  Duty,  and  the  Object 

of  teaching  every  Child  to  read,  22 
The  Right  and  the  Duty  of  readmg 

the   Bible   daily, 23 

Duty,  Benefits,  and  Necessity   of 

Parental  Example, 23 

The    Right  and    Duty    of    Family 

Prayer, 23 

Its  Effects  on  Children, 23 

Echo  of  the  Reasoning  in  Heav- 
en,   ....23 

Influence  of  Faith  in  God  on  Char- 
acter  and  Prospects, 24 

The  Sabbath  a  Family  Indiiution.  25 
Not    good    for  the    Family  to    be 

alone, 23 

God  made  a  •'  Help-meet''  for  it,.  .25 

A  Gift  to  the  Human  Race, 25 

Object  and  Value  of  that  Gift, 26 

Diligence  in  Business,  if  continued 
seven  Days  in  a  Week,  destruc- 
tive,     26 

Dissipation,  Amusement,  and  Sloth 
on  the  Sabbath  destructive,...  .27 

Importance    of    Honesty, 28 

Form  of  the  Sabbatical  Command,  28 
Parental    and  divine    Government 

coalesce 29 

Parents  punished  by  Sabbath-break- 
ing Children, 29 

Parents  blessed  by  Sabbath-keep- 
ing Children,   29 

Material  and  Spiritual  Laws,   ....30 
Influence  of  the  Sabbath  on  Chil- 
dren,   30 

Influence    on   the   Fatherless   and 

the    Widow, 34 

071  Young  Men.  —  Its  Voice  when 
a  Young  Man   leaves,  for  Life, 

his  Father's   Dwelling, 35 

The    most    hazardous    Period   of 

human    Probation, 36 

The  Description  of  a  Young  Man,36 

His  making  himself  a  Fool, 37 

His    voluntarily     going    to    Hell, 

when  he  might  go  to  Heaven,.  .37 
Influence    of    Marriage    and    the 
Sabbath,  when  properly  treated, 

on  Youth, 39 

The   final  Results, 40 


THIRD   SABBATH   DOCUMENT. 


One  great  object  of  Jehovah  is  to  make  known 
himself,  and  thus  promote  his  own  glory  and  the 
highest  good  of  men. 

In  pursuance  of  this  object,  and  in  the  best  way  to 
promote  it,  he  established,  at  the  creation,  two  great, 
fundamental,  and  permanent  institutions.  The  first 
was  that  of  Marriage,  or  the  union,  for  life,  of  one 
man  and  one  woman,  as  the  head  of  one  family. 
The  next  was  the  Sabbath,  or  a  day  of  weekly  rest 
from  worldly  business  and  cares,  and  of  special  devo- 
tion to  the  worship  of  God  and  the  promotion  of  the 
spiritual  good  of  men.  Both  were  established  in  Par- 
adise, before  the  fall,  and  were  ^'  made  for  man." 
Both  are  suited  to  his  nature,  adapted  to  his  capaci- 
ties, and  essential  to  the  supply  of  his  wants.  They 
were  so  at  the  beginning  ;  they  are  so  now  ;  and  they 
will  continue  to  be  so,  in  all  countries,  to  the  end  of 
time.  They  are  parts  of  one  whole,  and  mutually 
aid  and  sustain  each  other. 

Though  created  in  the  image  of  his  Maker,  and 
surrounded  with  every  thing  beautiful  to  the  eye, 
charming  to  the  ear,  and  delightful  to  the  taste,  it 
was  not  good  that  man  should  be  alone :  he  was  not 
made  to  be  alone,  with  no  companions  but  the  fishes 
of  the  sea,  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  the  beasts  of  the 
field.  Though  very  good  for  the  purposes  for  which 
they  were  made,  they  could  not  be  companions  for 
him  :  they  could  not  sympathize  with  him ;  they 
could  not  understand  his  feelings,  or  enter  into  and 
be  partakers  of  his  joys.     Yet  he  was  social,  and 


10 


needed  a  friend  on  earth  as  well  as  in  heaven ;  one 
seen  as  well  as  one  unseen  ;  one  who  would  be  a 
helpmeet  for  him.  So  God  made  one,  and  gave  her 
to  him.  He  received  her  as  the  gift  of  God,  to  be 
henceforth  united  to  him  in  bonds  so  tender,  lasting, 
and  kind,  that  he  said,  "  This  is  now  bone  of  my 
bone  and  flesh  of  my  flesh  ;  "  this  is  a  part  of  me. 
Now  I  am  complete  as  a  whole  for  the  purpose  for 
which  I  was  made;  viz.,  to  receive  the  knoioledge  of 
God,  and  to  communicate  it  to  others  ;  and  thus  to 
reflect  the  image  and  show  forth  the  glory  of  Jehovah. 
For  this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  his  father,  who  begat 
him,  and  who  brought  him  up  as  a  child  ;  his  mother, 
who  nursed  him,  who  dandled  him  upon  her  knees, 
and  whom  he  loves  as  his  own  soul ;  and  he  shall  be 
joined  to  his  wife,  and  they  two  shall  be  one  —  one 
head  of  one  family,  composed  of  one  man  and  one 
woman. 

And  wherefore  one  only  ?  With  God  was  the  res- 
idue of  the  Spirit ;  he  had  all  power,  and  could  have 
created  many  women  for  each  man  :  why  did  he 
create  but  one  ?  Because  one  was  enough  —  all  that 
was  needed,  and  all  that  would  consist  with  the  ac- 
complishment, in  the  best  manner,  of  the  end  which 
he  had  in  view :  —  the  communication  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  himself  by  parents  to  children,  the  train- 
ing of  them  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord,  and  the  spreading  of  the  blessings  of  salvation 
through  the  world.  For  this  there  must  be  one  head, 
composed  of  one  man  and  one  woman,  and  one  only  ; 
that  there  may  be  oneness  of  afl"ection  and  judgment, 
oneness  of  counsel  and  eff'ort.  This  could  be  secured 
so  perfectly  in  no  other  way.  Therefore  God  made 
but  one,  and  established  marriage  with  but  one  ;  for- 
bidding any  husband  to  put  away  his  wife  except  for 
that  cause  which  he  himself  specified.  This  arrange- 
ment, like  all  the  works  of  God,  was  very  good  — 

PERFECT. 


11 

It  was,  however,  afterwards  departed  from  by- 
wicked  men,  and  even  by  some  of  the  friends  of  God. 
In  the  darkness  of  human  apostasy,  and  under  the 
influence  of  sin,  some  took  many  wives.  But  God 
never  approved  of  it.  He  never  sanctioned  it,  or 
even  permitted  it  in  any  such  sense  as  to  imply  ap- 
probation. He  merely  suffered  it  on  account  of  the 
hardness  of  their  hearts,  and  adopted  regulations  suited 
in  some  measure  to  lessen  its  evils.  He  suffered  a 
man  to  put  away  his  wife,  even  the  wife  of  his  youth, 
by  writing  a  bill  of  divorcement  and  putting  her  away 
that  he  might  take  others.  And  he  suffered  them,  in 
some  cases,  to  take  many  wives.  But  it  was  only  on 
account  of  their  wickedness  that  he  suffered  it.  In 
the  beginning  it  was  not  so  :  it  ought  never  to  have 
been  so ;  and  had  they  followed  the  appointment  of  God^ 
it  never  would  have  been  so.  He  always  hated  that 
putting  away  of  one's  wife,  and  that  taking  of  many 
wives.  And  his  adopting  regulations  to  counteract  in 
some  measure  its  evils,  was  not  designed  to  show  that 
it  was  right,  or  to  express  any  approbation  of  it  ;  but 
only  to  lessen  its  mischiefs  till  the  time  should  come, 
when,  by  increasing  light  and  love,  it  might,  through 
grace,  be  forever  done  away,  and  all  men  return  again 
to  the  good  and  right  way  of  the  Lord. 

The  fact  that  God  sometimes  adopts  regulations  to 
lessen,  in  some  measure,  the  evils  which  a  wicked 
practice  would  otherwise  occasion,  is  not  to  be  con- 
strued as  an  approbation  of  the  practice.  It  means 
no  such  thing.  All  that  it  means  is,  that  he  would 
in  some  measure  counteract  its  evils  ;  while  in  some 
measure,  too,  he  lets  those  evils  come  upon  the  trans- 
gressors, that  both  mercies  and  judgments  may  lead 
them  to  repentance  and  newness  of  life,  that  so  they 
may  escape  final  condemnation. 

That,  for  a  time,  was  the  case  with  pol^^gamy,  di- 
vorce, and  other  evils,  which,  on  account  of  the  hard- 
ness of  men's  hearts,  he  suffered  in  days  of  darkness 


12 

and  ignorance  which  he  winked  at ;  but  of  which 
sins  he  now  commandeth  all  men  every  where,  on 
whom  the  true  light  shines,  to  repent,  and  do  works 
meet  for  repentance.  "  And  he  answered  and  said 
unto  them,  Have  ye  not  read,  that  he  which  made 
them  at  the  beginning,  made  them  male  and  female  ; 
and  said,  For  this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  father  and 
mother,  and  shall  cleave  to  his  wife ;  and  they  twain 
shall  be  one  flesh  ?  Wherefore  they  are  no  more 
twain,  but  one  flesh.  What  therefore  God  hath  joined 
together,  let  not  man  put  asunder.  They  say  unto 
him,  Why  did  Moses  then  command  to  give  a  writing 
of  divorcement,  and  to  put  her  away  ?  He  saith  unto 
them,  Moses,  because  of  the  hardness  of  your  hearts, 
suff"ered  you  to  put  away  your  wives  ;  but  from  the 
beginning  it  was  not  so.  And  I  say  unto  you.  Who- 
soever shall  put  away  his  wife,  except  it  be  for  forni- 
cation, and  shall  marry  another,  commiteth  adultery  ; 
and  whoso  marrieth  her  which  is  put  away,  doth  com- 
mit adultery."  (Matt.  19:4 — 9.)  And  all  who  repent, 
and  follow  the  true  light,  will  return  to  the  original 
arrangement  of  one  woman  for  one  man,  united  for 
life,  as  the  head  of  one  family  ;  that  they  may  raise 
up  "  a  godly  seed,"  and  be  blessed  in  him,  in  whom 
the  families  of  the  earth  were  designed  to  be  blessed. 
Children  are  the  creatures,  and,  as  such,  the  prop- 
erty of  God.  He  commits  them  to  their  parents  as 
his  representatives  and  ofiicers,  to  receive  and  train 
them  for  his  service.  For  this  purpose  they  are,  from 
the  beginning,  privately  and  publicly  to  consecrate 
them  to  him,  and  early  to  teach  them  the  first  great 
lesson  of  his  moral  government —  "  Not  my  will,  but 
thine,  be  done ;  "  that  they  must  not  be  permitted  to 
have  their  own  way,  to  govern  themselves,  or  others. 
They  are  not  qualified  to  govern.  They  have  not 
Uved  long  enough  ;  they  do  not  know  enough  ;  they 
are  not  good  enough ;  they  are  not  strong  enough. 
Their  interest,  safety,  excellence,  and  usefulness,  their 


13 

happiness  and  the  happiness  of  others,  all  require  that 
they  should  not  govern,  but  be  governed.  Parents 
are  God's  officers  to  teach  them  this  truth,  which  lies 
at  the  foundation  of  his  moral  government,  and  the 
practical  experimental  knowledge  of  which  is  essen- 
tial to  the  excellence,  usefulness,  and  happiness  of 
every  human  being. 

And  yet  every  child  is  disposed  at  first  to  govern 
himself  —  to  have  his  own  way.  No  sooner  does  he 
possess  and  manifest  desires  than  he  is  disposed  to 
gratify  them,  and  to  oppose  all  who  undertake  to  con- 
trol him.  Yet  he  must  be  controlled,  and  taught  to 
submit  his  will  to  the  will  of  his  parents.  And  it  is 
an  instructive  fact,  that  there  is  not  a  child  in  the 
world,  of  common  sense,  that  cannot  be  taught  to  do 
this  ;  and  so  early  that  he  will  never  remember  the 
time  when  he  began  to  do  it ;  and  so  perfectly,  too, 
that  he  will  not  forget  it ;  and  so  constantly,  that  it 
will,  by  habit,  become  a  kind  of  second  nature  ;  and 
so  kindly,  that  it  will,  by  and  by,  be  his  delight. 
And  among  his  highest  joys  will  be  that  of  the  appro- 
bation of  his  parents. 

He  can  be  taught  not  to  disobey  them,  as  he  is 
taught  not  to  put  his  finger  in  the  candle,  which  burns 
so  brightly,  looks  so  beautifully,  and  so  strongly 
tempts  every  little  child  that  sees  it  to  take  hold  of 
it.  He  is  warned  of  danger.  He  is  told  that  it  will 
burn.  But  having  no  faith  and  little  experience,  and 
not  choosing  to  submit  his  will  to  that  of  another,  he 
tries  it,  and  he  firids  a  law  there  —  the  law  of  God  ; 
and  a  penalty  —  the  penalty  which  God  in  love  has 
established,  prompt,  uniform,  and  efficacious.  It  is  a 
penalty  suited  to  the  nature  of  the  child,  is  appro- 
priate to  his  condition,  and  exactly  meets  his  wants. 
He  does  not  try  it  again  ;  certainly,  not  often.  The 
way  of  transgressors  is  found  to  be  too  hard  to  be 
often  tried,  and  he  learns  a  lesson  for  life  :  you  must 
not  touch  the  fire.  You  may  look  at  it,  and  have  all 
2 


14 

the  benefit  of  its  light  and  heat,  but  you  must  not 
put  your  hand  in  it.  If  you  do.  it  will  burn  you. 
There  is  a  law  there,  and  a  penalty.  These  God  has 
joined  together,  and  no  man  can  put  them  asunder. 
Fire  will  burn,  and  burn  hard  enough  to  make  any 
child  of  common  sense,  very  early,  keep  out  of  it. 
It  has  left  its  impress,  and  a  burnt  child  ever  after 
dreads  the  fire.  This  obedience  to  natural  laws  is  an 
apprenticeship  for  obedience  to  moral  laws. 

So,  when  that  child  is  old  enough  to  understand 
what  is  meant,  and  is  told  not  to  disobey  his  mother, 
or  his  father  ;  that  it  is  not  safe  ;  that  it  will  give  him 
pain,  —  suppose  he  tries  it,  and  the  parent  does  his 
duty,  the  child  will  find  a  law  there,  and  a  penalty, 
both  of  God's  appointment ;  namely,  this  —  "  Chasten 
thy  son  while  there  is  hope,  and  let  not  thy  soul  spare 
for  his  crying."  If  it  be  needful,  and  nothing  else  will 
do,  "  withhold  not  correction  from  the  child,  for  though 
thou  beat  him  with  a  rod  he  shall  not  die :  thou  shalt 
beat  him  with  the  rod,  and  shalt  save  his  soul  from 
hell."  This  is  the  great  object  of  family  govern- 
ment, to  save  children  from  hell,  and  fit  them  for 
heaven.  "  He  that  spareth  the  rod,"  when  it  is  neces- 
sary to  keep  his  child  from  knowingly  and  wilfully 
disobeying  his  parent,  "  hateth  his  child  ;  "  that  is, 
he  acts  as  if  he  hated  him ;  he  takes  the  way  to  ruin 
him.  But  the  parent  that  loveth  him  with  the  love 
that  God  requires,  and  acts  according  to  the  dictates 
of  heavenly  wisdom,  "  chasteneth  him  betimes."  He 
does  it  early  —  as  soon  as  it  is  needed.  He  does  it 
uniformly  and  kindly.  He  does  it  promptly  and  firmly. 
He  does  it  thoroughly,  and  thus  he  does  it  effica- 
ciously. He  does  not  wait  till  the  child  has  become 
a  rebel  of  long  standing,  and,  by  fixed  habits  of  treason 
against  lawful  authority,  become  obdurate,  and  his 
heart  like  the  nether  millstone.  He  takes  him  while 
young  and  tender,  before  he  has  learned  the  tactics 
of  war,  or  acquired  by  practice  the  arts  of  self-defence. 


15 

III  no  pitched  battle  does  he  ever  allow  him  to  con- 
quer, or  to  come  off  doubtful  as  to  the  result,  both 
parties  claiming  the  victory,  and  both  provoking  each 
other  to  wrath  and  future  contests.  No  ;  he  settles 
the  question,  once  for  all. 

The  parent  has  the  power,  he  has  the  right,  he  has 
the  authority,  he  has  the  opportunity ;  upon  him  rests 
the  obligation  ;  and  his  Avili  be  the  guilt,  and  his  the 
condemnation,  if  he  does  not  have  the  victory  ;  and 
so  decisively  that  the  conquered  shall  feel  it,  and  ac- 
knowledge it,  and  henceforth  understand  that  to  con- 
tend with  Heaven-appointed  parental  authority,  power,, 
and  love,  is  hopeless. 

The  wisdom  and  the  goodness,  the  strength  and 
the  patience,  the  firmness  and  the  perseverance,  are  all 
comparatively,  when  the  parent  does  his  duty,  on  one 
side.  If  the  little,  selfish,  imbecile  thing  will  contend 
with  any  hope  of  success,  it  must  be  with  his  equal ; 
but  woe  to  him  that  contendeth  with  parents,  the  di- 
vinely-appointed representatives  of  his  Maker,  in  the 
great,  the  glorious,  the  everlastingly  momentous  work 
of  applying  the  great  principles  of  Jehovah's  govern- 
ment, according  to  his  will,  to  the  souls  which  he  has 
made,  and  by  the  blood  of  his  only-begotten  Son  re- 
deemed, that  they  may  be  forever  to  the  praise  of  the 
glory  of  his  infinite  grace.  In  that  contest  is  torment 
—  prompt,  continued,  and  great  enough  to  lead  every 
child  of  common  sense,  early,  very  early,  to  cease 
from  pursuing  it.  And  if  for  a  moment  it  is  tempted 
to  renew  the  conflict,  it  foreseeth  the  evil,  and  escapeth 
it.  Or  if  it  be  so  simple  as  to  pass  on  and  renew  the 
contest,  the  parent  that  suffers  it  to  usurp  and  retain 
the  reins  of  government,  is  recreant  to  his  duty  to  the 
child,  to  himself,  to  the  community,  and  to  God  ;  and 
nought  but  grace  divine,  triumphing  over  guilt  of  a 
crimson  dye,  can  save  him  or  his  children  from  per- 
dition. 

Nor  does  the  teaching  of  a  child  even  by  the  rod, 

No.  3.  6 


16 

if  it  be  necessary  in  order  to  lead  it  promptly  and 
habitually  to  submit  its  will  to  the  will  of  its  parent, 
imply  any  want  of  wisdom,  or  affection,  intelligence, 
or  refinement.  It  is  the  dictate  of  them  all.  As  well 
might  a  man  contend  that  the  law  of  fire  and  its  pen- 
alty indicate  a  want  of  wisdom  or  kindness  in  their 
Author.  They  are  the  dictate  of  both,  and  are 
adapted  to  the  nature  and  condition  of  every  child  of 
Adam. 

So  with  family  government.  The  voice  comes  from 
the  heart  of  God,  saying,  "  Chasten  thy  son  while 
there  is  hope,  and  let  not  thy  soul  spare  for  his  cry- 
ing." That  is,  do  this  if  it  be  necessary  to  take  the 
government  out  of  the  hand  of  the  child,  and  place 
it,  by  mutual  consent,  permanently  in  the  hand  of  the 
parent,  where  God  designed  and  commanded  that  it 
should  be  placed,  and  where  the  good  of  the  universe 
requires  that  it  should  be  continued,  in  order  that^he 
government  of  God  in  due  time  may  have  its  legitimate 
effect  on  the  children,  and  through  them  on  their  chil- 
dren, and  all  who  in  time  or  eternity  may  feel  their 
influence. 

Parental  government  is  sometimes  treated  as  if  it 
were  a  small  or  trivial  affair.  Through  carelessness,  or 
imbecility,  false  affection,  or  sloth,  or  on  account  of 
covetous  devotion  to  the  world,  it  is  suffered  to  slip  out 
of  the  hands  of  parents,  or  they  neglect  to  use  it,  and 
suffer  it  to  be  taken  and  retained  by  the  children. 
This  is  treason  against  the  King  of  heaven,  and 
against  the  welfare  of  the  universe. 

Here  is  an  heir  of  immortality  starting  on  his  course 
of  endless  being,  to  rise  forever  higher  and  higher  in 
excellence,  usefulness,  and  bliss,  or  sink  deeper  and 
deeper  in  debasement,  infamy,  and  woe.  All  for  eter- 
nity depends  upon  his  saying  voluntarily,  cheerfully, 
and  habitually  to  his  heavenly  Parent,  "  Not  my  will, 
but  thine,  be  done."  Earthly  parents  are  his  repre- 
sentatives, who,  by  teaching  the  child  thus  to  submit 


17 

his  will  to  theirs,  are  to  prepare  hitn  to  submit  his 
will  to  the  will  of  God.  One  is  an  apprenticeship  for 
the  other ;  and  if  not  secured,  all  may  be  lost,  irre- 
trievably lost.  It  is  to  be  secured  without  correction, 
if  it  can  be  ;  but  if  it  cannot  be,  no  needful  correction 
is  to  be  withheld.  Secured  it  must  be  ;  and,  wherever 
parents  obey  God,  secured  it  will  be,  and  there  be  in 
each  family  but  one  head  ;  and  that,  not  the  children, 
but  the  parents  —  that  united  and  divinely-appointed 
head  of  father  and  mother.  Their  voice,  echoing  the 
voice  of  God,  will  come  as  one  having  authority. 
And  though  uttered  in  meekness,  and  answered  in 
love,  it  will  govern.  That  government,  administered 
in  love,  will  awaken,  secure,  and  perpetuate  love ; 
and  the  family,  under  its  guidance,  with  the  blessing 
of  God,  will  become  a  nursery  for  heaven.  The 
effects  of  it  will  show  that  parental  government  "  was 
made  for  man."  It  is  adapted  to  his  nature  in  the 
morning  of  life,  and  essential  to  his  present  and  future 
good. 

Obedience  on  the  part  of  the  children,  by  habit, 
uniform  and  kind,  will  by  and  by  become  easy,  and 
even  delightful.  They  will  not  need,  like  the  horse 
and  mule,  to  be  held  in  and  guided  with  bit  and 
bridle.  They  may  be  guided  by  the  eye.  A  look, 
or  a  motion,  a  wish  expressed  in  any  way,  is  suffi- 
cient. They  hear  a  voice  within  echoing  the  voice 
of  God,  '^  Children,  obey  your  parents,  for  that  is  right." 
Conscience  echoes,  "  That  is  right."  And  the  soul, 
if  it  does  not  obey,  feels  guilty.  Though  surrounded 
with  the  darkness  of  midnight,  and  seen  by  no  mor- 
tal eye,  if  it  does  what  it  knows  is  forbidden  by  its 
father  or  its  mother,  it  condemns  itself.  The  foot- 
steps of  its  parent  make  it  feel  somewhat  as  Adam 
felt,  when  he  heard  the  voice  of  his  Father  among 
the  trees  of  the  garden,  and  sought  to  hide ;  and  per- 
haps it  will  try  to  sew  fig-leaves  together  to  cover  its 
shame.  Moral  government  has  begun;  the  govern- 
2* 


18 

ment  of  God ;  a  preparation  for,  and  an  introduction 
to,  which  is,  by  divine  appointment,  the  government 
of  earthly  parents.  Oq  the  basis  of  this,  when  they 
come  to  know  Him  who  made  them,  and  who  has 
nourished  and  brought  them  up  as  children,  a  voice 
from  heaven  will  be  heard,  saying,  "  If  I  be  a  father, 
where  is  mine  honor  ?  and  if  I  be  a  master,  where  is 
my  fear  ? "  And  they  will  be  much  more  likely  in 
future  life  to  have  that  fear  of  the  Lord  which  is  the 
beginning  of  wisdom,  and  that  good  understanding 
which  is  imparted  to  all  who  obey  him,  than  they 
would  have  been  if  they  had  not  been  taught  thus 
early,  promptly,  habitually,  and  conscientiously,  to 
obey  their  earthly  parents. 

The  question  of  government  having  thus  been 
settled,  another  part  of  the  duty  of  parents  towards 
their  children,  in  order  to  accomplish  the  end  for 
which  families  were  made,  is  oral  instruction,  or  the 
communication  of  knowledge  by  word  of  mouth,  es- 
pecially the  knowledge  of  God  their  Creator,  Re- 
deemer, and  Sanctifier  ;  the  knowledge  of  themselves, 
their  relations  and  duties,  and  the  consequences  of 
performing  those  duties  or  of  neglecting  them.  The 
mode  of  communication  should  be,  not  in  set  forms, 
or  at  stated  periods  merely,  but  "line  upon  line  and 
precept  upon  precept,  here  a  little  and  there  a  little," 
as  they  are  able  to  bear  it.  In  the  house  and  by  the 
way,  when  they  lie  down  and  when  they  rise  up, 
parents  must  communicate  knowledge  as  there  is  time 
and  opportunity,  and  as  the  children  are  prepared  to 
receive  and  use  it  to  advantage. 

These  instructions  must  be  drawn  from  the  works, 
the  word,  and  the  providence  of  God.  To  the  child 
as  well  as  the  man,  when  rightly  taught,  "  the  heavens 
declare  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  firmament  showeth 
his  handy  work.  Day  unto  day  uttereth  speech,  and 
night  unto  night  showeth  knowledge."  Though  they 
do  not  speak  in  audible  language,  yet  they  speak  to 


19 

the  mind  and  the  heart,  and  in  such  a  manner  that 
*'  the  invisible  things  of  God,  from  the  creation  of  the 
world,  may  be  clearly  seen  by  the  things  that  are 
made,  even  his  eternal  power  and  Godhead  ;  "  so  that 
they  will  be  left  "  without  excuse,"  who  do  not  love 
and  adore  him. 

The  wondrous  facts  which  meet  them  at  the  opening 
of  the  Bible,  that  ''in  the  beginning  God  created 
the  heavens  and  the  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  in 
them  is ;  "  that  "  the  things  which  are  seen  were  not 
made  of  things  which  appear,"  but  were  created ;  that 
*'  he  spake,  and  it  was  done,  he  commanded,  and  it 
stood  iast,"  saying,  "  Let  there  be  light,  and  there 
was  light,"  — let  there  be  a  firmament,  and  there  was 
a  firmament,  —  cannot  be  communicated  to  children, 
and  believed  by  them,  without  producing  a  strong  im- 
pression. They  will  feel  what  the  revelation  of  these 
facts  was  designed  to  make  them  feel,  —  that  "  Jehovah 
is  a  great  God,  and  a  great  King  above  all  gods  :  in 
his  hand  are  the  deep  places  of  the  earth  :  the  strength 
of  the  hills  is  his  also :  the  sea  is  his ;  he  made  it,  and 
his  hands  formed  the  dry  land." 

The  consequence  is,  as  the  little  child  may  see. 
''the  earth  is  the  Lord's,  and  the  fulness  thereof; 
the  world,  and  they  that  dwell  therein."  He  owns 
them  by  the  highest  possible  title,  and  he  has  a  per- 
fect right  to  govern  and  dispose  of  them  according  to 
his  pleasure  ;  for  he  is  not  only  great,  but  also  wise 
and  good.  The  earth  is  full  of  the  riches  of  his 
goodness  ;  so  is  the  great  and  wide  sea  wherein  are 
things  creeping  innumerable,  and  where  goeth  that 
leviathan  which  he  hath  made  to  play  therein.  These 
all  wait  upon  him,  and  he  giveth  them  their  meat  in 
due  season.  All  his  works  praise  him,  and  those  who 
know  his  character  and  ways  are  bound  to  bless  him; 
for  he  openeth  his  hand,  and  supplieth  the  wants  of 
every  living  thing. 

This  children,  even  little  children,  in  view  of  the 


20 

facts,  may  feel.  He  thought  of  them  before  he  made 
them,  and  thought  of  them  in  love.  He  provided 
kind  arms  to  embrace  them  when  they  came  into  the 
world ;  kind  hearts  to  love  them,  and  hands  to  feed 
and  to  clothe  them.  The  Lord  is  good  to  all,  and  his 
tender  mercies  are  over  all  his  works.  He  is  good  to 
them,  as  every  parent  may  and  ought  to  show  them, 
and  thus,  through  nature,  lead  them  up  to  nature's 
Ood.  All  the  blessings  which  they  receive  through 
their  parents  come  from  him.  Thus,  day  by  day,  he 
gives  them  their  daily  bread ;  watches  over  them  in 
health,  heals  them  in  sickness,  and  takes  care  of  them 
as  his  children  :  when  they  slumber,  and  their  parents 
are  asleep,  unconscious,  and  can  protect  neither  them- 
selves nor  their  children,  their  Father  in  heaven,  who 
never  slumbers  or  sleeps,  takes  care  of  them.  Never 
for  a  moment,  since  they  were  born,  has  he  ceased  to 
do  them  good.  Though  they  have  often  forgotten 
him,  and  sinned  against  him,  —  have  done  those  things 
which  they  ought  not  to  have  done,  and  left  undone 
those  things  which  they  ought  to  have  done  ;  though 
they  have  evil  hearts  of  unbelief  in  departing  from 
the  living  God  :  and  though  all  men  have  gone  out 
of  the  right  way,  and  there  are  none  naturally  dis- 
posed to  do  what  is  spiritually  good,  no,  not  one,  yet 
he  has  not  destroyed  them. 

But  when  through  their  rebellion  against  him  they 
were  lost,  and  there  was  no  eye  to  pity  and  no  arm  to 
save,  his  eye  pitied,  and  his  arm  brought  salvation. 
He  so  loved  them,  even  in  their  enmity  against  him, 
that  he  gave  his  dearly-beloved  and  only-begotten  Son 
to  die  for  them,  the  just  for  the  unjust,  that  whoso- 
ever believeth  on  him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life. 

And  now  he  offers  them  all  the  blessings  of  his 
salvation,  freely,  without  money  and  without  price. 
The  wicked  of  every  description  may  forsake  their 
ways,  and  the  unrighteous  their  thoughts,  and  turn 


21 


unto  the  Lord,  who  will  have  mercy  upon  them,  and 
unto  our  God,  who  will  abundantly  pardon.  Though 
their  sins  were  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  white  as  snow ; 
though  they  were  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  become 
as  wool.  From  all  their  filthiness  and  their  idols  he 
will  cleanse  them  ;  a  new  heart  he  will  give  them, 
and  a  new  spirit  put  within  them  :  he  will  take  away 
the  heart  of  stone,  the  hard,  unfeeling  heart,  and  give 
them  a  heart  of  flesh,  one  that  is  easily  moved  by  the 
knowledge  of  his  truth ;  that  is  penitent  for  sin,  and 
grateful  for  mercies  ;  that  looks  unto  Jesus,  who  bore 
our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree ;  and,  trusting  in 
him  for  salvation  and  all  needed  good,  finds  rest,  and 
peace,  and  joy.  Thus  is  God  in  Christ  reconciling 
the  world  unto  himself,  not  imputing  their  trespasses 
unto  them,  but  forgiving  iniquity,  transgression,  and 
sin. 

And  the  more  the  soul  of  the  child  knows  of  itself, 
the  more  it  will  feel  its  need  of  Christ  and  his  salva- 
tion ;  and  the  more  it  will  appreciate  the  truth,  that 
he  is  exalted  to  give  repentance  and  remission  of  sins. 

The  Holy  Ghost  also  is  provided,  to  take  of  the 
things  of  Christ  and  show  them  unto  men ;  to  work 
in  them  both  to  will  and  to  do,  and  to  fulfil  all  the 
good  pleasure  of  his  goodness,  even  the  work  of  faith, 
love,  joy,  peace,  long-sufi"ering,  gentleness,  goodness, 
meekness,  and  temperance,  with  great  power.  These 
things  may  all  be  in  them,  while  young,  and  abound, 
and  be  manifested  to  his  glory,  their  good,  and  the 
good  of  all  who  may  feel  their  influence  ;  and  through 
their  instrumentality  multitudes  may  be  led  to  glorify 
their  Father  in  heaven.  Thus  out  of  the  mouths  of 
babes  and  sucklings  he  may  perfect  his  praise. 

Ready  as  earthly  parents  are  to  give  good  gifts  to 
their  children,  as  such  children  have  often  experi- 
enced, more  ready  is  God  to  give  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
all  needed  good,  to  them  that  ask  him.  "  He  that 
spared  not  his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  us 


22 

all,  how  shall  he  not  with  him  also  freely  give  us  all 
things  ?  "  The  consequence  is,  every  individual,  as 
soon  as  he  knows  these  facts,  is  bound  to  believe  on 
him,  and  to  ask,  that  he  may  receive  the  Holy  Spirit ; 
to  seek,  that  he  may  find  ;  and  to  knock,  that  the  door 
of  mercy  may  be  opened  unto  him.  And  so  ready  is 
God  to  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him, 
that  every  one  that  asketh  receiveth,  and  he  that 
seeketh  findeth,  and  to  him  that  knocketh  the  door  is 
opened. 

Of  course,  if  any  one  to  whom  the  way  of  life  is 
made  known  fails  of  being  converted  from  the  error 
of  his  ways  to  the  wisdom  of  the  just,  and  obtaining 
salvation  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  it  will  be  his 
own  fault.  It  will  be  because  he  did  not  choose  the 
fear  of  the  Lord,  would  none  of  his  counsel,  and 
despised  his  reproof.  He  will  eat  the  fruit  of  his  own 
way.  And  it  will  be  more  tolerable  for  Tyre  and 
Sidon,  and  even  for  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  in  the  day 
of  judgment,  than  it  will  be  for  him.  The  angels 
will  come  forth  and  sever  the  wicked  from  among  the 
just,  and  cast  them  into  a  furnace  of  fire,  and  there 
shall  be  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  All  that  are 
in  their  graves  shall  hear  his  voice  and  come  forth  ; 
they  that  have  done  good  unto  the  resurrection  of  life, 
and  they  that  have  done  evil  to  the  resurrection  of 
damnation. 

Such  are  some  of  the  truths  of  the  Bible,  which 
m  due  time,  in  suitable  proportion,  and  in  proper 
ways,  parents  are  bound  to  communicate  to  their  chil- 
dren ;  that  they  may  have  that  fear  of  the  Lord  which 
is  the  beginning  of  wisdom,  and  that  good  under- 
standing which  is  imparted  to  those  that  obey  him. 

But  they  must  not  rest  satisfied  with  the  communi- 
cation of  those  truths,  or  any  of  the  truths  of  the 
Bible,  by  word  of  mouth  merely,  or  on  their  own 
authority.  They  must  teach  their  children  to  read, 
that  they  may  search  the  Scriptures  for  themselves, 


23 

and  thus  hear  the  voice  of  God  in  his  word,  declaring 
the  same  great  truths  ;  that  their  faith  may  stand,  not 
in  the  wisdom  or  on  the  authority  of  men,  but  on  the 
testimony  of  God. 

They  must  also  teach  them  to  read  some  portion 
of  his  truth  daily ;  and  ask  him  by  prayer  and  sup- 
plication for  the  teaching  of  his  Spirit,  that  they  may 
understand,  believe,  and  obey  it,  and  that  it  may  thus 
be  spirit  and  life  to  their  souls. 

In  order  to  secure  the  performance  of  these  duties 
by  their  children,  parents  must  daily  read  the  Bible 
themselves,  and  pray,  not  only  in  secret,  but  in  their 
families.  All  the  family  must  assemble  and  hearken 
to  the  voice  of  their  common  God  and  Father  ;  bow 
before  him  in  confession  of  their  sins,  and  in  humble 
supplication  for  his  mercy  ;  render  thanks  for  his 
benefits,  and  ask  of  him  the  blessings  which  they 
need  for  the  body  and  the  soul,  for  time  and  eternity, 
especially  the  blessings  of  his  grace,  that  they  may 
all  be  made  wise  unto  salvation  through  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ. 

And  in  the  duties  and  events  of  the  day,  parents 
must  manifest  those  feelings  of  supreme  regard  to 
God  and  good-will  to  men,  the  duty  of  exercising 
which  they  inculcate  on  their  children  ;  and  must  set 
them  an  example  of  living,  not  unto  themselves,  but 
unto  Him  who  died  for  them  and  rose  again. 

Under  the  influence  of  such  government,  instruc- 
tion, and  example,  they  may  expect,  with  the  blessing 
of  God,  that  their  children  will  know  him,  and  Jesus 
Christ  whom  he  has  sent ;  and  will  become  followers 
of  those  who  through  faith  and  patience  are  now  in- 
heriting the  promises,  where  they  hunger  no  more, 
neither  thirst  any  more  ;  where  the  Lamb  leads  them 
to  fountains  of  living  water,  and  wipes  away  all  tears 
from  their  eyes.  For  having  been  enlightened  and 
trained  up  in  the  way  they  should  go,  by  the  good 
government,  instruction,  and  example  of  parents,  ac- 


24 

cording  to  the  will  of  God,  conscience  will  speak  for 
him  ;  and  the  children  will  learn  to  reason  as  they  do 
in  heaven,  and  as  those  who  are  tiiere  did  when  on 
earth  :  ''  If  we  have  had  fathers  of  our  flesh  who  cor- 
rected us,  and  we  gave  them  reverence,  shall  we  not 
much  rather  be  in  subjection  to  the  Father  of  spirits, 
and  live  ?  "  not  merely  for  fifty  or  seventy  years,  as 
men  sometimes  exist  on  earth,  but  forever  and  ever  — 
heirs  too,  not  to  that  which  shall  perish  with  the  using, 
and  which  parents  often  toil  day  and  night  to  lay  up 
for  their  children,  but  to  an  inheritance  uicorruptible, 
undefiled,and  which  shall  never  fade  away  ? 

And,  if  rebellion  against  earthly  parents,  who  have 
nourished  and  brought  up  their  children,  is  guilt  so 
awful,  that  "  the  eye  that  mocketh  at  his  father  and 
despiseth  to  obey  his  mother,  the  ravens  of  the  valley 
shall  pick  it  out,  and  the  young  eagles  shall  eat  it," 
of  how  much  sorer  punishment  will  they  be  thought 
worthy,  who,  amidst  the  overflowings  of  infinite  kind- 
ness and  the  wonders  of  boundless  grace,  continue  to 
rebel  against  their  Father  in  heaven  ?  Surely  it  must 
be  a  fearful  thing  for  them  to  fall  into  the  hands  of 
the  living  God,  who  hath  said,  "  Vengeance  is  mine: 
I  will  repay."  And  as,  through  faith  m  his  word, 
they  see  him  bringing  in  the  flood  upon  the  world  of 
the  ungodly,  and  setting  forth  the  inhabitants  of 
Sodom  for  examples,  suff'ering  the  vengeance  of  eter- 
nal fire  ;  and  see  the  wicked  at  the  day  of  judgment 
going  away  into  everlasting  punishment,  and  the  right- 
eous into  life  eternal ;  and  at  the  same  time  see 
Jehovah,  now  on  a  throne  of  mercy,  inviting  even  the 
chief  of  sinners  to  come  unto  him  and  live,  —  they  may 
through  grace  be  moved  to  flee  for  refuge  to  lay  hold 
on  the  hope  set  before  them ;  to  deny  ungodliness 
and  worldly  lusts,  and  to  live  soberly,  righteously,  and 
godly ;  looking  unto  Jesus,  the  Author  and  Fmisher 
of  faith,  who,  for  the  joy  set  before  him,  endured  even 
the  cross,  despising  the  shame,  and  is  now  at  the  right 


25 

hand  of  Majesty  on  high.  Of  his  fulness  they  may 
receive,  even  grace  for  grace.  He  will  then  guide 
them  by  his  counsel,  and  afterwards  receive  them  to 
glory,  where  they  will  see  him  as  he  is,  be  like  him, 
and  with  him  rise  from  glory  to  glory,  through  end- 
less being. . 

Such  are  the  effects  of  family  government,  instruc- 
tion, and  example,  accompanied  by  the  Spirit  of  God  ; 
and  eternity  will  not  be  too  long  to  illustrate  his  wis- 
dom and  goodness  in  the  establishment  of  families, 
and  in  the  grace  manifested  through  them  to  the  souls 
of  men. 

But,  were  there  no  other  institution  but  the  family, 
there  icould  he  no  such  government,  instruction,  and 
example,  as  have  been  above  illustrated,  nor  icould 
their  blessings  ever  come  upon  the  world.  Though 
wise  and  good,  and  worthy,  in  all  respects,  of  its 
divine  Author,  the  family  arrangement  alone  would 
fail  of  accomplishing  its  high  and  mometitons  purpose. 
Of  the  fatnily,  therefore,  as  well  as  of  individual  man, 
it  may  be  said,  it  was  not  good  that  it  should  be  ahne. 
It  would  not,  in  that  state,  accomplish  the  end  for 
which  it  was  established,  viz.,  the  raising  up  of  a 
'•godly  seed,-'  increasing  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion, till  they  should  be  a  multitude  that  no  man  can 
number,  bearing  the  image,  reflecting  the  likeness, 
and  showing  forth  the  glory  of  their  redeeming  God. 

God,  therefore,  in  prosecution  of  his  plan  of  mercy, 
made  ''  a  help  meet  "  for  the  family,  and  gave  it  to 
the  race  ;  that,  under  its  influence,  men  might  be 
fitted  for  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  made : 
To  know  Jehovah  as  their  Creator,  Redeemer,  and 
Sanctifier,  and  communicate  that  knowledge  to  others, 
that  through  its  influence  they  may  be  prepared  for 
his  service  on  earth,  and  the  joys  of  his  presence  in 
heaven. 

That  help  meet  for  the  family  was  the  Sabbath. 
"  I  gave  them  my  Sabbaths  to  be  a  sign  between  me 
3 


26 

and  them,  that  they  might  know  that  I  am  Jehovah, 
that  doth  sanctify  them."  This  was  what  they 
needed,  and  what,  to  accomplish  the  end  for  which 
they  were  made,  they  must  have.  And  they  must 
observe  it,  or  they  will  fail  of  its  benefits.  Hence 
the  command,  ''  Hallow  (that  is,  keep,  observe  in  a 
sacred  manner)  my  Sabbaths,  and  they  shall  be  a 
sign  between  me  and  you,  that  ye  may  know  that  1 
am  Jehovah  your  Gody  The  proper  observance  of 
that  day  will  be  instrumental  in  communicating  this 
knowledge,  and  in  rendering  it  efficacious  over  their 
hearts  and  lives  ;  especially  when,  from  earliest  child- 
hood, they  have  been,  by  their  parents,  uniformly 
trained  up  in  that  way. 

But  let  men  work  seven  days  in  a  week,  or  be 
employed  continuously  in  worldly  business  and  cares, 
from  month  to  month,  and  year  to  year,  without  days 
for  rest  and  spiritual  duties,  and  they  will  remain  igno- 
rant of  God  as  their  Sanctifier,  and  destitute  of  that 
holiness  without  which  they  cannot  enjoy  him. 
Their  children  will  not  be  governed  or  instructed  ac- 
cording to  his  will ;  nor  will  they  be  trained  up  in  the 
way  they  should  go.  You  may  give  them  the  Bible, 
but  they  will  not  read  it.  You  may  preach  the  gos- 
pel, but  they  will  not  hear  it.  You  may  circulate 
religious  tracts,  but  they  will  be  neglected ;  or,  if 
they  are  sometimes  read,  and  seem  for  a  moment  to 
make  an  impression,  unless  they  lead  men  to  keep 
the  Sabbath,  the  cares  of  the  world,  the  deceitfulness  of 
riches.,  and  the  pride  of  life,  will  choke  all,  and  render 
it  unfruitful.  The  good  word  of  the  kingdom  will 
be  as  water  falling  upon  a  rock,  and  making  no  im- 
pression. It  will  be  as  seed  sown  by  the  wayside, 
which  the  fowls  of  the  air  pick  up ;  or  among  thorns, 
which  spring  up  and  choke  it;  or  on  stony  places, 
where  it  has  no  depth  of  earth,  and  it  will  wither 
away.  '-Si  Jocrrs  r' 

Though  diligence  in  business^  useful,  appropriate 


27 

business,  six  cays  in  a  week,  is  a  duty,  and,  next  to 
true  religion,  is  the  great  safeguard  of  man,  especially 
in  youth,  —  although  it  is  required  by  God,  and  is  the 
appropriate  manifestation  of  true  religion,  —  yet  ^/, 
against  the  known  xoill  of  God,  it  is  continued  unin- 
terruptedly seve?i  days  in  a  loeek,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  money,  it  will,  notwithstanding  all  the  means 
of  grace,  drown  m.en  in  destruction  and  perdition. 

Or,  if  they  stop  their  business  on  the  Sabbath  only 
to  spend  the  day  in  idleness  and  sloth,  in  travelling, 
amusements,  dissipation,  and  wickedness,  this  will 
work  out  damnation.  All  the  efforts  of  infinite  kind- 
ness for  their  restoration  to  holiness,  and  preparation 
for  heaven,  will  be  counteracted ;  worldly-minded 
they  will  live,  and  worldly-minded  they  will  die. 
With  carnal  hearts  they  will  go  to  the  judgment,  and 
reap  the  fruit  of  everlasting  enmity  to  God. 

Hence  the  command,  obedience  to  which  was  re- 
quired by  all  that  is  blissful  in  heaven,  and  all  that  is 
agonizing  in  hell :  "  My  Sabbaths  ye  shall  keep ;  for 
it  is  a  sign  between  me  and  you,  throughout  your 
generations,  that  ye  may  know  that  I  am  Jehovah, 
that  doth  sanctify  you."  ''Ye  shall  keep  the  Sab- 
bath therefore,  for  it  is  holy  unto  you."  "  Six  days 
may  work  be  done,  but  on  the  seventh  is  the  Sabbath 
of  rest,  holy  to  the  Lord."  "For  in  six  days  the 
Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  and  on  the  seventh  day 
he  rested  and  was  refreshed." 

To  hedge  up  the  way  against  the  violation  of  the 
Sabbath,  and  to  make  it  not  only  the  duty,  but  for 
the  interest  of  men,  physically  and  morally,  to  keep 
it,  God  has  made  both  man  and  beast  with  a  nature 
that  cannot  be  employed  continuously  seven  days  in 
a  week  to  advantage,  or  without  the  diminution  of 
health  and  the  curtailing  of  life. 

He  has  also  made  but  six  days  in  a  week  for  secu- 
lar business  and  cares;  has  given  to  men  no  more, 
and  has  rendered  it  impossible  for  them  to  take  any 

No.  3.  7 


28 

more,  without  taking  what  is  not  theirs,  and  thus 
showing  that  they  are  at  heart  dishonest ;  and  by 
acting  out  that  dishonesty,  exerting  a  most  deleteri- 
ous influence  on  themselves  and  others.  In  addition 
to  this,  he  has  written  with  his  own  finger,  and  placed 
on  a  permanent  record,  among  fundamental,  unchan- 
ging and  universal  laws,  the  moral  obligation  which 
grows  out  of  this  nature  of  things,  which  he  has  es- 
tablished ;  and  has  proclaimed,  in  the  most  explicit 
and  positive  manner,  his  command,  saying,  "  Remem- 
ber the  Sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy.  Six  days  shalt 
thou  labor,  and  do  all  thy  luork  ;  but  the  seventh  day  " 
(which  is  the  day  that  comes  next  after  the  sixth 
working  day)  "is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God  : 
in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy  son, 
nor  thy  daughter,  thy  man-servant,  nor  thy  maid  ser- 
vant, nor  thy  cattle,  nor  the  stranger  that  is  within 
thy  gates,"  or  under  thy  control. 

From  the  form  of  this  command,  addressed  as  it  is 
to  the  head  of  the  family,  requiring  all  under  his  con- 
trol to  keep  it,  it  is  evident  that  it  is  a  family  insti- 
tution. Like  the  obedience  of  children  to  their 
parents,  God  has  made  it  the  duty  of  the  head  of  the 
family  to  see  that  it  is  observed.  And  one  great  object 
that  God  had  in  view  in  the  establishment  of  family 
government  was,  that  through  its  influence  the  obser- 
vance of  the  Sabbath  might  be  secured,  and  thus  its 
benefits  be  obtained  by  the  children.  Hence,  before 
they  are  old  enough  to  know  that  there  is  a  Sabbath, 
or  even  a  God,  they  must  be  taught  to  obey  their 
parents;  and  the  habit  must  be  so  firmly  fixed,  that 
Avhen  they  come  to  know  God  and  the  Sabbath,  obe- 
dience to  their  parents,  as  well  as  obedience  to  God, 
will  lead  them  to  keep  it.  If  they  do  not,  but  openly 
violate  it,  sentence  against  that  evil  work  must  be  ex- 
ecuted speedily,  as  it  must  be  when  they  disobey  the 
known  command  of  their  father  or  their  mother,  and 
as    it   is    when  they  put    their   hand  into  the  fire. 


29 

If  nothing  else  will  prevent  it,  parents  who  obey  God 
will  cJiasten  them  betimes,  while  there  is  hope,  and 
not  spare  for  their  crying. 

With  regard  to  the  Sabbath,  the  government  of  the 
parents  and  the  government  of  God  coalesce  :  one  is 
the  means  of  preparing  the  children  for ,  and  securing 
their  obedience  to  the  other.  It  is  the  great  institu- 
tion, through  the  influence  of  which  those  who  have 
been  trained  into  the  habit  of  obeying  their  parents 
are  to  be  initiated  into  the  habit  of  obeying  God  ;  so 
that  by  practice,  while  they  are  young,  it  may  become 
so  firmly  fixed,  that  when  they  become  old  they  will 
not  depart  from  it.  And  it  is  the  institution  which 
God  blesses  for  that  purpose,  and  without  the  obser- 
vance of  which  they  will  never  become  accustomed 
to  obey  him,  or  receive  those  blessings  which  that 
obedience  confers.  Of  course,  parents  who  do  not 
require  their  children  to  keep  the  Sabbath,  but  who 
suffer  them  openly  and  habitually  to  profane  it,  are 
not  only  disobeying  God  themselves,  but  are  taking 
the  course  which  is  adapted  to  perpetuate  everlasting 
disobedience  in  their  children.  If  it  be  continued, 
he  may  say  of  them  as  he  did  to  Eli,  ^'  I  will  do  a 
thing  at  which  the  ears  of  every  one  that  heareth 
it  shall  tingle  ;  "  because  their  children  made  them- 
selves vile,  and  they  restrained  them  not. 

On  the  one  hand,  many  a  parent,  as  a  punishment 
for  his  sin  in  allowing  the  breaking  of  the  Sabbath  by 
his  children,  whom,  when  young,  he  did  not  restrain, 
in  after  life  has  had  his  gray  hairs  brought  down  with 
sorrow  to  the  grave. 

On  the  other  hand,  parents  not  a  few,  who  accus- 
tomed their  children,  when  young,  promptly  and  uni- 
formly to  obey  them ;  and  who,  when  they  became 
old  enough  to  understand,  communicated  to  them  a 
knowledge  of  the  character  and  will  of  God,  and  of 
their  relations  and  duties  to  him  who  set  them  a  good 
example,  and  who  accustomed  them  to  keep  the 
3* 


30 

Sabbath  holy,  and  spend  it  in  worshipping  Jehovah, 
and  in  learning,  for  the  purpose  of  doing,  his  will, 
have  had  the  unspeakable  joy  of  seeing  them,  in  after 
life,  walking  in  the  truth,  growing  up  in  the  fear 
and  love  of  God,  and  in  the  esteem  and  confidence 
of  men,  to  be  ornaments  to  society,  pillars  in  the 
church,  and  benefactors  to  the  world. 

There  is  something  in  the  nature  of  the  Sabbath, 
and  in  the  effect  which  the  proper  keeping  of  it  has 
on  the  minds  of  children,  which  is  adapted  to  produce 
these  results.  In  addition  to  this,  there  is  the  special 
blessing  of  God  which  he  bestows  upon  those  who 
thus  observe  it,  in  fulfilment  of  his  promise,  "Those 
who  honor  me  I  will  honor." 

As  the  earth,  prepared  of  God,  and  treated  by  men 
according  to  his  appointment,  brings  forth  fruit,  first 
the  blade,  then  the  ear,  and  then  the  full  corn  in  the 
ear,  so  the  Sabbath,  with  its  means  of  grace,  in  the 
closet,  in  the  family,  in  the  house  of  God,  treated  ac- 
cording to  his  appointment,  under  his  blessing,  is  in- 
strumental in  bringing  forth  and  maturing  fruits  of 
righteousness  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace. 
Sons  and  daughters  are  born  of  the  Spirit,  and  pre- 
pared for  glory,  honor,  immortality,  and  eternal  life. 
No  one  can  witness  the  effects  of  the  keeping  of  the 
Sabbath  on  little  children,  and  follow  its  influence  up 
through  youth  and  riper  years,  without  feeling  that  it 
was  made  for  them  by  Him  who  made  them,  and 
understood  perfectly  their  character,  condition,  and 
wants.  As  a  means  of  making  known  God,  and  of 
enlightening,  renewing,  and  sanctifying  souls,  it  is, 
indeed,  ''  very  good."  It  speaks  as  with  a  thousand 
tongues  of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  its  Author ; 
and  in  harmony  with  angelic  strains,  proclaims,  "Glory 
to  God  in  the  highest,  on  earth  peace,  good-will  to 
men."  Its  calm  and  heavenly  stillness,  when,  after 
six  days  of  labor  and  amusement,  the  activity,  bustle, 
noise,  and  tumult  of  worldliness  die  away,  speaks  of 


31 

God.  And  as  the  Sabbath  sun  rises  in  his  glory,  and 
no  man  goes  forth  to  labor,  and  all  creation  seems  to 
listen,  there  is  not  an  obedient  child  in  the  world,  who 
knows  the  reason  of  this,  and  has  been  taught  his 
duty,  who  does  not  feel  more  than  he  did  before  the 
omnipresence  of  Jehovah,  and  have  a  more  operative 
conviction  that  he  sees  every  thing,  and  hears  every 
thing,  and  knows  every  thing,  and  is  of  purer  eyes 
than  to  behold  iniquity.  Earth  becomes  like  the 
house  of  God,  and  the  Sabbath  like  the  gate  of 
heaven.  It  seems  to  raise  a  ladder  like  that  of  Jacob, 
and  to  show  him  angels  ascending  and  descending 
upon  it.  He  can  hardly  forbear  to  say,  "  Surely  God 
is  in  this  place."  For  him,  in  keeping  the  Sabbath, 
so  to  play  the  fool  as  to  say  even  in  heart,  ''  No  God," 
is  next  to  impossible.  It  would  be  like  clinging  to  dark- 
ness when  the  sun  shines.  The  darkness  will  flee 
away ;  or  if  on  any  spot  it  stops,  the  light  shows  the 
contrast,  and  makes  the  darkness  look  darker. 

Many  a  one  who,  in  the  business  and  sports  of  the 
week,  has  forgotten  his  Maker,  or  knowingly  sinned 
against  him,  on  the  Sabbath  has  felt  guilty.  And  if 
he  would  not  repent,  he  wished  to^  break  its  stillness, 
for  it  condemned  him.  Above,  around,  beneath,  all 
seemed  full  of  God.  Whither  could  he  go  from  his 
Spirit,  or  whither  flee  from  his  presence?  Should  he 
go  up  into  heaven,  God  is  there ;  or  descend  into  the 
depths,  he  is  there  ;  should  he  take  the  wings  of  the 
morning,  and  fly  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth, 
there  would  his  hand  lead  him,  and  his  right  hand 
would  hold  him.  Or  should  he  say  that  the  darkness 
would  cover  him,  the  darkness  would  shine  as  the 
day  :  the  darkness  and  the  light  are  both  alike  to  Him. 
Hence,  to  one  who  is  wicked,  knowingly  and  pre- 
sumptuously wicked,  and  means  to  continue  so,  the 
Sabbath,  with  its  sacred  stillness  and  its  holy  duties, 
is  a  burden,  and  a  burden  often  too  great  to  bear. 
He  throws  himself  down,  and  tries  to  forget  all  in 


32 

sleep ;  or  he  engages  in  worldly  conversation  or 
reading  ;  or  walks  abroad  ;  goes  to  the  livery  stable, 
and  gets  a  horse  and  carriage  for  a  ride ;  or  plunges 
into  dissipation,  vice,  and  folly  ;  or  if  that  is  wicked- 
ness too  gross,  he  sits  uneasy,  sighing,  "  O,  what  a 
weariness !  "  "  when  will  the  Sabbath  be  gone,  that 
we  may  buy,  and  sell,  and  get  gain  ! " 

But  in  such  cases,  there  has  ordinarily  been  light 
long  resisted  ;  or  such  persons  have  not  been  rightly 
taught  to  obey  their  parents,  or  instructed  by  them 
into  the  duty  of  obeying  God.  They  have  not  been 
trained  in  the  way  they  should  go.  It  may  be  that 
the  parents  have  not  daily  prayed  with  them,  and  for 
them  ;  have  not  from  the  beginning  accustomed  them 
to  keep  the  Sabbath,  or  set  them  the  example,  and 
gone  with  them  habitually  to  the  house  of  God.  Or 
they  may  not  have  duly  felt  their  dependence  on 
him,  or  sought  the  blessings  of  his  Spirit,  to  render 
their  efforts  for  the  salvation  of  their  children  suc- 
cessful. 

But  where  parents  do  their  duty,  and  children,  in 
affectionate  kindness,  hearken  to  instruction,  the  Sab- 
bath is  "a  delight^ the  holy  of  the  Lord,  and  honor- 
able." Its  stillness  assists  them  in  their  contempla- 
tions, and  in  their  efforts  to  learn  his  will.  As  they 
assemble  around  the  family  altar,  and  bow  with  their 
parents  in  adoration  and  praise,  and  think,  it  may  be, 
of  the  loved  one  who  once  was  with  them,  but  is 
now  in  heaven,  they  anticipate  "  the  rest  which  re- 
maineth  for  the  people  of  God." 

The  cleanliness  of  person,  the  tidiness  of  apparel, 
as  they  implore  the  blessing  and  partake  of  the  boun- 
ties of  their  heavenly  Father  ;  the  sound  of  the 
church-going  bell,  the  congregating  assembly,  and  the 
union  in  songs  of  praise  ;  the  voice  of  prayer,  the 
reading  and  hearing  of  the  Scriptures,  the  exposition 
by  the  minister  of  the  oracles  of  God,  and  the  in- 
structions drawn  from  them  which  he  communicates 


33 

to  the  people,  giving  to  parents  and  to  children,  to  old 
men  and  matrons,  young  men  and  maidens,  their  por- 
tion in  due  season  ;  all  are  calculated  to  make  a  salu- 
tary, an  all-pervading,  and  a  lasting  impression  —  one 
that  goes  deep  in  the  formation  of  character,  and  which 
neither  time  nor  eternity  will  efface.  It  is  like  the 
influence  of  a  pure  atmosphere  upon  physical  health. 
It  awakens  and  invigorates,  deepens  and  renders  per- 
manent, moral  and  religious  impressions.  Like  good 
seed  on  good  ground,  it  springs  up,  and  brings  forth 
thirty,  sixty,  and  a  hundred-fold.  Not  a  few  have 
said  in  truth,  of  the  place  in  which  they  worshipped 
with  their  parents, 

"  I  have  been  there,  and  still  would  go ; 
'Tis  like  a  little  heaven  below ; 
At  once  they  sing,  at  once  they  pray  ; 
They  hear  of  heaven,  and  learn  the  way." 

Nor  do  they,  trained  up  under  that  influence,  merely 
"  learn  the  way ;  "  often,  very  often,  they  are  in- 
clined to  take  it ;  and  they  find  it  by  experience  to 
be  a  way  of  pleasantness  and  a  path  of  peace.  It 
grows,  as  they  proceed  in  it,  brighter  and  brighter, 
till  the  light  of  the  moon  becomes  like  the  light  of 
the  sun,  and  the  light  of  the  sun  as  the  light  of  seven 
days.  They  obtain  joy  and  gladness,  and  sorrow 
and  sighing  flee  away. 

And  even  if,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  while  young, 
their  father,  protector,  and  guide  is  taken  from  them, 
their  mother  is  a  widow,  sorrowful  and  desolate,  and 
her  children  are  fatherless,  yet  '*  a  God  of  the 
widow  and  father  of  the  fatherless  "  is  Jehovah  in 
their  habitation.  Though  their  father  has  forsaken 
them,  He  takes  them  up,  and  is  often  more  to  them  than 
what  he  has  taken  from  them ;  and  he  does  more  for 
them  than  their  earthly  father  could  have  done,  or 
God  would  have  done  through  him,  had  he  lived. 
Through  the  influence  of  their  mother,  whom  they 
are  now  accustomed  to  obey  as  the  head  of  the  fam- 


34 


ily  ;  with  whom  they  unite  in  daily  devotion,  think 
of  their  father,  and  feel  their  need  of  a  Father  in 
heaven ;  with  whom  they  go  on  the  Sabbath  to  the 
house  of  God,  and  sit  where  their  father  sat,  hear  the 
pastor,  and  worship  the  God  whom  he  loved,  God  has 
raised  up,  without  the  father,  in  every  generation, 
some  of  the  inost  worthy  and  most  useful  of  the  hu- 
man family. 

The  Sabbath  was  made  for  the  fatherless  and  the 
widow,  the  orphan,  and  those  who  have  no  earthly 
helpers.  It  is  the  day  for  communing  with  the 
Father  of  their  spirits,  the  Former  of  their  bodies,  and 
the  Giver  of  all  their  blessings ;  when  he  communes 
with  them,  manifests  himself  to  them,  and  teaches 
them  so  to  seek  him  that  they  shall  not  want  any  good 
thing.  So  with  all  the  families  of  the  earth.  Let 
parents  govern  their  children,  teach  them  the  will  of 
God,  and  set  them  a  holy  example  ;  let  them  keep 
the  Sabbath  and  reverence  the  sanctuary,  not  forsak- 
ing the  assembling  of  themselves  together,  but  saying, 
in  word  and  in  deed,  "  O,  come,  let  us  worship  ;  let  us 
kneel  and  bow  down  before  Jehovah  our  Maker ;  for 
we  are  the  sheep  of  his  pasture,  and  the  people  of  his 
hand  :  "  let  them  conscientiously  abstain  from  worldly 
business,  travelling,  and  amusements,  habitually  at- 
tend public  worship,  and  keep  the  day,  from  the  be- 
ginning to  the  end,  holy  to  the  Lord ;  let  them  hear 
and  obey  his  will,  and,  through  his  grace,  the  great 
object  which  he  had  in  view  in  the  establishment  of 
families,  will  be  accomplished.  They  will  know 
him  as  their  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  he  has  sent. 
They  will  be  sanctified  by  his  Spirit,  and  made  meet 
to  be  partakers  of  the  inheritance  of  the  saints. 
Under  this  influence,  and  by  the  operation  of  his 
Spirit, 

"  The  gospel  bids  the  dead  revive  ; 
Sinners  obey  the  voice  and  live  ; 
Dry  bones  are  raised  and  clothed  afresh, 
And  hearts  of  stone  are  turned  to  flesh." 


35 

This  is  God's  way  to  communicate  to  men,  especially 
to  the  young,  that  knowledge  of  himself  and  of  his 
Son  which  is  life  eternal ;  causing  that  knowledge 
to  be  efficacious  in  giving  such  views,  awakening 
such  thoughts,  inspiring  such  feelings,  and  leadxUg  to 
such  conduct,  as  shall  promote  excellence  and  useful- 
ness on  earth,  and  endless  life  and  glory  in  heaven. 

Nor  is  the  influence  of  the  keeping  of  the  Sabbath 
confined  to  families,  or  to  children  while  under  the 
guidance  of  their  parents.  It  accompanies  the  youth 
when  he  leaves  his  father's  house,  and  goes  out,  for 
life,  into  the  world.  In  his  plans  and  his  efforts,  his 
business  and  his  cares,  his  dangers  and  his  duties,  his 
trials  and  his  joys,  it  is  a  guardian  angel ;  whispering 
continually  in  his  hearing,  concerning  intelligence 
and  virtue,  truth  and  right,  "  This  is  the  way  ;  walk 
ye  in  it."  ''  Keep  thy  father's  commandment,  and 
forsake  not  the  law  of  thy  mother ;  bind  them  con- 
tinually upon  thy  heart,  and  tie  them  about  thy  neck. 
When  thou  goest,  it  shall  lead  thee  ;  when  thou  sleep- 
est,  it  shall  keep  thee  ;  and  when  thou  awakest,  it 
shall  talk  with  thee."  "  The  Lord  giveth  wisdom  ; 
out  of  his  mouth  cometh  knowledge  and  understand- 
ing. He  layeth  up  sound  wisdom  for  the  righteous, 
and  is  a  buckler  to  them  that  walk  uprightly." 
"  Keep  his  commandments  ;  for  length  of  days,  and 
long  life,  and  peace  shall  they  add  to  thee.  Let  not 
mercy  and  truth  forsake  thee  ;  bind  them  about  thy 
neck,  write  them  upon  the  table  of  thy  heart ;  so 
shalt  thou  find  favor  and  good  understanding  in  the 
sight  of  God  and  man."  "  In  the  way  of  righteous- 
ness is  life,  and  in  the  pathway  thereof  there  is  no 
death." 

A  youth  leaves  his  father's  dwelling  for  a  distant 
city.  There  he  enters  into  business,  and  soon  finds 
himself  involved  in  all  the  labors,  and  cares,  and 
anxieties  of  active  life.  Buoyant  with  hope,  borne 
on  by  expectation,  and  flushed,  it  may  be,  with  sue- 


36 

cess^  he  presses  forward  in  his  enlarged  and  enlar- 
ging schemes  of  business,  till  he  is  in  danger  of  being 
swallowed  up  in  them.  Occasionally,  for  a  moment, 
he  turns  his  eye  towards  home,  and  thinks  of  his 
father  and  his  mother ;  but  by  no  means  with  that 
frequency,  steadiness,  and  intensity  with  which  they 
think  of  him.  They  wonder  how  he  does,  when  far 
away  from  the  society  of  parents,  brothers,  and  sisters  ; 
in  company  only  with  strangers  or  new-made  acquaint- 
ances. They  do  not  forget  him  at  the  throne  of 
mercy,  in  their  private  or  family  devotions,  but  com- 
mend him  to  the  merciful  guidance  and  keeping  of 
Him  from  whom  they  received  him,  and  to  whom, 
from  his  birth,  he  was  devoted. 

If  a  person  arrive  from  that  city,  he  is  met  with 

the  anxious   inquiry,  "  Do  you  know ?"    "Yes, 

I  know  him  well  ;  he  resides  but  a  few  doors  from 
me."  "  How  is  he  doiug  ?  "  "I  believe  well  — 
very  well."  And  suppose  they  hear  in  addition, 
"  There  is  one  thing  which  I  have  observed  always 
promises  well  for  a  young  man.  He  never  opens  his 
store,  or  goes  down  to  it,  on  the  Sabbath.  He  never 
goes  out  to  ride,  or  visits  places  of  amusement  or  dis- 
sipation on  that  day.  He  is  always  at  church,  morn- 
ing and  evening."  How  safe,  comparatively,  those 
parents  feel,  and  how  delighted!  They  do  not 
expect  to  hear  any  thing  very  bad  of  their  son. 
While  he  keeps  the  Sabbath,  they  hope  and  expect 
that  the  God  of  the  Sabbath  will  keep  him.  For 
that  is  God's  way  to  keep  men,  and  even  young  men, 
in  that  tnost  trying  and  dangerous  of  all  periods^ 
from  the  titne  lohen  they  leave  their  father'' s  dioelling^ 
and  the  endearments  and  restraints  of  home,  to  the 
time  when  they  obtain  that  last  best  earthly  gift  —  a 
prudent  wife  from  the  Lord,  and  have  a  family  of 
their  own  to  throw  its  kind  endearments  around  them, 
and  Jill  them  with  the  riches  of  its  bliss. 

But  suppose  they  hear  the  following   answer   to 


37 

their  affectionate  and  anxious  inquiry :  ''  I  do  not 
know.  I  am  not  much  acquainted  with  him.  He 
does  not  reside  near  me,  nor  does  he  associate  much 
with  our  sort  of  people.  There  is  one  thing,  how- 
ever, which  always  makes  me  fearful  about  a  young 
man  —  he  does  not  keep  the  Sabbath.  I  observe,  he 
sometimes  opens  his  store  on  that  day,  or  goes  down 
to  it.  He  sometimes  rides  out,  or  goes  to  places  of 
amusement.  He  is  not  in  the  habit  of  attending 
church." 

What  will  those  parents  hear  next?  None  can  tell. 
It  may  be,  that  he  has  failed  in  business  ;  or  that  he 
has  become  intemperate,  or  licentious,  or  in  other 
respects  abandoned  ;  that  he  is  a  gambler,  or  a  thief, 
or  has  committed  some  enormous  crime. 

There  is  no  safety  to  the  young  man  who  does 
NOT  keep  the  Sabbath.  He  has  forsaken  God,  and 
turned  from  his  ways.  He  is  on  the  devil's  ground, 
tempting  that  old  murderer  to  tempt  him,  provoking 
God  to  leave  him  in  his  hands  to  eat  the  fruit  of  his 
own  way,  and  to  be  filled  with  his  devices.  Thus 
many  a  youth,  before  whom  was  opened  the  path  of 
life,  that  "  way  of  pleasantness,"  that  "  path  of  peace." 
has  voluntarily  turned  aside  and  gone  down  to  death. 
He  had  within  him  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief,  in  de- 
parting from  the  living  God.  He  may  have  uttered 
or  echoed  to  himself  the  old  serpent's  lie.  "  Thou 
shalt  not  surely  die  ;  "  or  flattered  himself  that  it  was 
the  part  of  manly  independence  to  trample  on  the 
Sabbath  ;  to  look  upon  the  wine  when  it  is  red,  and 
giveth  its  color  in  the  cup ;  or  indulge  those  propen- 
sities which  God  has  implanted  in  our  nature  for  wise 
and  beneficent  purposes,  but  the  gratification  of  which 
he  has  restricted  to  the  limits  which  his  wisdom  and 
goodness  have  prescribed,  and  lohich  he  has  solemnly 
commanded  should  be  confiiied  to  inarried  life.  In 
defiance  or  forgetfulness  of  God,  the  heedless  youth 
may  have  chosen  — foolishly,  meanly,  and  wickedly 
4 


38 

chosen  —  to  follow  her  "whose  mouth  is  smoother 
than  oil,  bat  whose  end  is  bitter  as  wormwood  ;  " 
"  whose  feet  go  down  to  death,  and  whose  steps  take 
hold  on  hell ;  "  "whose  house  inclineth  unto  death, 
and  her  paths  unto  the  dead  ;  "  whose  "  house  is  the 
way  to  hell,  leading  down  to  the  chambers  of  death." 
But  he  will  find  that  as  the  fishes  are  caught  in  an 
evil  net,  and  as  birds  are  caught  in  a  snare,  so  he  has 
been  taken  by  the  destroyer,  and  snared  with  a  bait, 
which  "  at  the  last  biteth  like  a  serpent  and  stingeth 
like  an  adder."  Her  voice  was  "the  poison  of  drag- 
ons, and  the  cruel  venom  of  asps  ;  "  "  the  adder's 
poison  was  under  her  lips."  "  The  dead  are  there, 
and  her  guests  are  in  the  depths  of  hell."  "  None 
that  go  in  unto  her  return  again,  neither  take  they 
hold  of  the  path  of  life." 

Let  any  man^  young  or  old,  despise  or  trample  on 
Marriage,  that  great  fundamental  institution  ivhica 
God  established  to  secure  a?id  perpetuate  the  existence 
and  social  purity  of  our  race,  and  through  which  to 
make  known  himself  and  majiifest  his  goodness  to 
man ;  and  let  hi?n  seek  those  gratifications  without^ 
which  it  is  his  revealed  will  should  be  enjoyed  only 
loithin  its  sacred  enclosure ;  or  let  him  openly  and 
presumptuously  neglect  and  desecrate  the  Sabbath, 
that  other  great  and  fundamental  institution,  which, 
like  marriage,  God  established  at  the  creation,  as  a 
help  meet  for  families,  and  through  ivhose  halloived 
influences  they  can  alone  accomplish  the  end  for  lohich 
they  were  established ;  and  as  certainly  as  God  reig7is 
in  heaven,  who  judgeth  upon  the  earth,  such  men, 
eve7i  here,  will  be  visited  with  his  curse.  He  has  es- 
tablished laws,  fixed  as  the  pillars  of  his  throne, 
which  no  mortal  can  annul  or  evade,  by  which  those 
sins,  continued,  will  work  out  destruction. 

If  they  do  not  lead,  as  is  often  the  case,  to  other 
gross  outward  crimes,  which  bring  the  culprit  to  an 
untimely  end,  they  will  keep  him  away,  ordinarily, 


39 

from  the  remedial  influences  of  the  gospel,  and  all 
the  appointed  means  of  grace,  or,  if  continued,  will 
counteract  their  efficacy  and  prevent  their  saving 
eftects  —  an  evil  infinitely  greater  than  the  loss  of  all 
merely  earthly  things.  Such  men  may  expect  to  live 
in  impenitence,  and  in  impenitence  to  die  ;  in  hard- 
ness of  heart  and  blindness  of  mind  to  go  to  the 
judgment,  and  under  accumulated  treasures  of  wrath 
to  sink  to  an  awfully  aggravated  condemnation. 

But  let  a  man,  even  a  young  maUj  in  this  most 
perilous  period  of  his  probation,  keep  in  mind  the 
lessons  of  heavenly  wisdom  ;  let  him  hear  God  say, 
"  Whoso  hearkeneth  unto  me  shall  dwell  safely,  and. 
be  quiet  from  the  fear  of  evil ;  "  and  to  the  inquiry, 
''  Wherewithal  shall  a  young  man  cleanse  his  way  ?  " 
let  him  hear  his  answer,  "  By  taking  heed  thereto  ac- 
cording to  thy  word;  "  let  him  treat  the  word  of  God 
as  "  a  lamp  to  his  feet,  and  a  light  to  his  path ;  "  let 
him  keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy,  as  a  day  of  worship 
and  of  spiritual  improvement ;  let  him  regard  mar- 
riage as  the  institution  of  God,  a  holy  union  of  one 
man  with  one  woman  for  life  ;  let  him  seek  of  the 
Lord,  and  use  proper  means  to  obtain  a  suitable  com- 
panion for  himself,  and  enter  into  that  state  early  after 
he  is  settled  for  life  in  his  appropriate  business, — and 
he  will  find  that  he  has  indeed,  beyond  what  he  could 
in  any  other  course,  "obtained  favor  of  the  Lord." 
He  will  know,  from  their  blessed  effects,  that  both 
Marriage  and  the  Sabbath  were  "  made  for  man," 
and  are  conducive,  in  the  highest  degree,  to  his 
present  and  future  good,  and  the  good  of  all  who  may 
feel  his  influence.  While  those  who  despise  either 
of  these  institutions  despise  their  own  mercies,  con- 
temn the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  Jehovah,  and 
oppose  the  advancement  of  his  glory  and  the  great 
interests  of  the  universe.  But  they  who  regard  these 
institutions,  and  treat  them  according  to  the  revealed 
will  of  God,  will  more  and  more  taste  and  see  con- 
No.  3.  8 


40 

tiniially  of  his  wisdom  and  goodness,  and  will  be- 
come co-workers  with  him  in  promoting  the  great 
object  for  which  he  stretched  out  the  heavens  and 
laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth,  made  man,  gave  his 
Son  as  a  Savior,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a  Sanctifier, 
and  appointed  the  preaching  and  ordinances  of  the 
gospel,  and  is  carrying  on  all  his  operations  in  the 
kingdoms  of  nature,  providence,  and  grace. 

And  when  the  final  results  shall  be  unfolded,  and 
great  voices  shall  be  heard,  as  the  voice  of  many  waters 
and  of  mighty  thunderings,  from  multitudes  that  no 
man  can  number,  crying,  "Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest,"  they  will  be  witnesses  of  his  ^^  good-will  to 
men,^^  and  will  mingle  their  ascriptions  with  those  of  all 
who  have  believed  on  and  obeyed  him,  of  blessing, 

AND  HONOR,  AND  GLORY,  AND  POWER,  UNTO  HiM  THAT 
SITTETH  ON  THE  THRONE,  AND  UNTO  THE  LaMB  FOR- 
EVER AND  EVER. 


FOURTH 

PERMANENT    DOCUMENT 

or    THE 

3lmeruan  anb  Joretgn  SabbatI)  Hnlon. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Objects  of  preceding  Numbers,    1 
Directions  of  God  with  regard 
to  the  proper  mode  of  keep- 
ing the  Sabbath, 6 

His  care  for  servants  and  beasts 

of  burden, 7 

The  nature  of  man  and  beast,. .    8 
The  penalty  of  death,  tempo- 
rary,      8 

Law  maxim, '  Noscitur  a  sociis,'  9 
Difference    between    laws   and 

penalties, 10 

Effects  of  keeping  the  Sabbath,  11 
Momentous  question  answered,  13 
Effects  of  breaking  the  Sabbath,  14 
Reasons  why  the  Sabbath  is  so 

important, 15 

The  doctrine  of  Christ  with  re- 
gard to  the  Sabbath 16 

Reasons  why  the  Jews  opposed 

him........... 22 

Jewish  traditions, 23 

The   manner  in  which   Christ 

treated  them, 25 

The  teachings  of  Paul,  2  Cor. 

iii.  2,  etc., 26 

Difference  between  the  Jewish 
dispensation  and  the  moral 

law, _..  27 

Increased  obligations,  under  the 

Gospel,  to  keep  the  Sabbath,  32 
Law  maxim,  '  Quifacit  per  ali- 

um,  facit  per  se,' 32 

Owners  of  mills, 33 

Sabbath  labor  unprofitable,... .  34 
Sabbath-breaking  manufact's,..  35 
No  necessity  for  disobeying  God, 36 

Evidences  of  facts, 38 

Sabbath-breaking    detrimental 

to  the  poor, 38 

Sudden  and  unexpected  provi- 
dences,   40 

Farmers  in  haying-time, 41 

Farmers  in  time  of  harvest,....  42 
Young  man  in  a  thunder-storm,  42 
The  man  who  defied  the  light- 
ning,   43 

'It  happened  so,' 45 


PAGE 

Merchants  and  bankers, 46 

The  state  of  the  markets, 47 

The  sayings  of  a  merchant, ....  49 

Cases  of  failures, 50 

The  course  of  lawyers, 51 

Merchants  on  arrival  of  vessels,  52 
Travelling  in  order  to  get  home,  54 

The  mails, 57 

Cases  of  sickness  and  death,...  58 
The  right  course  for  travellers,  59 

Travelling  with  a  family, 60 

Two  young  ladies, 61 

The  man  who  had  been  absent 

a  long  time, 61 

The  sailing  of  steamships  and 

packets, 62 

'The  Sabbath  castaway,' 63 

Breaking  a  Sabbath  for  health,  64 
The  cases   of  apprentices  and 

clerks, 65 

Men  employed  on  ferry-boats,..  67 
The  keepers  of  livery  stables,. .  68 
Butchers,  bakers,  and  printers,  71 

Family  arrangements, 72 

Whaling, 43 

Secular  reading, 76 

Ministerial  exchanges, 77 

'  A  man  of  principle,  no  doubt,'  80 
Conscience   takes   the   side    of 

the  Sabbath, 81 

'  I  have  lost  my  child,' 82 

'  It  is  bad,  very  bad,' 83 

Connection  between    Sabbath- 
keeping  and  piety, 84 

Active  duties  of  the  Sabbath,..  85 

The  study  of  the  Bible, 86 

Reading  of  other  good  books,..  87 
Attendance  on  public  worship,  87 
Acquisition  and  communication 

of  biblical  knowledge, 89 

The  business  of  Saturday, 90 

Case  of  a  distinguished  minis- 
ter of  the  Gospel, 91 

The  way  to  do  most, 92 

Sabbath  Schools,  etc., 93 

'  Not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done,'  94 

Public  worship  essential, 95 

Conclusion, 97 


FOURTH    PERMANENT 


SABBATH    DOCUMENT, 


THE  PROPER  MODE  OF  KEEPING  THE  SABBATH. 


In  the  first  Sabbath  Document,  it  was  shown  that 
the  Sabbath  is  founded  on  natural  laws,  and  that  the 
command  in  the  decalogue  to  remember  and  keep  it 
holy,  is  an  expression,  not  merely  of  the  will  of  God, 
but  also  of  the  moral  obligation  which  arises  from  the 
nature  and  relations  of  things. 

In  the  second  Document,  it  was  shown  that  God,  in 
his  word,  and  by  his  providence,  has  clearly  designat- 
ed the  first  day  of  the  week  as  the  day  to  be  observed 
as  the  Christian  Sabbath,  from  the  resurrection  of 
Christ  to  the  end  of  the  world.  Those  passages  in 
the  New  Testament  which  speak  of  Sabbaths  as  being 
done  away,  refer,  as  the  connection  shows,  not  to  the 
weekly  Sabbaths  of  the  moral  law,  but  to  the  annual 
Sabbaths  of  the  ceremonial  law.  Hence  they  are 
placed  by  the  Lawgiver,  not  with  moral  precepts,  like 
''  Thou  shalt  not  kill,"  and  ''  Thou  shalt  not  steal," 
but  with  outward  ceremonies,  such  as  meats  and 
drinks,  fast-days  and  feast-days,  new  moons,  divers 
washings,  and  carnal,  that  is,  outward  ceremonial  or- 
dinances. These  never  were  binding  except  on  the 
Jews,  and  not  on  them  till  they  were  commanded, 
and  then  only  till  the  resurrection  of  Christ  and  the 

No.  4.  1 


establishment  of  the  gospel  dispensation.  The  weekly 
Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  was  established  at  the 
creation,  and  will  be  of  sacred,  moral,  and  religious 
obligation  upon  all  who  shall  know  the  will  of  God 
to  the  end  of  time. 

In  the  third  Document,  it  was  shown  that  the  Sab- 
bath is  a  FAMILY  INSTITUTION.  It  was  designed  by 
God  to  enable  parents  rightly  to  educate  their  children, 
to  train  them  up  in  the  way  they  should  go,  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord,  so  that  they  may 
serve  him  on  earth,  and  enjoy  him  in  heaven. 

Like  the  institution  of  marriage,  it  was  coeval  with 
the  creation,  and  was  in  operation  hundreds  of  years 
before  the  Jewish  dispensation  was  established.  Like 
marriage,  it  has  outlived  all  past  dispensations,  and 
will  go  down  as  a  help-meet  for  the  family,  to  bless 
the  children,  and  through  them  the  church  and  the 
world,  to  all  generations.  It  will  be,  also,  what  it  was 
established  to  be,  a  perpetual  sign  between  God  and 
his  people,  that,  in  the  keeping  of  it,  they  may  be 
known  as  his  people,  the  worshippers  of  Jehovah,  the 
one  living  and  true  God ;  who,  in  six  days,  made  the 
heavens,  the  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is, 
and  on  the  Sabbath  rested  from  his  labors  ;  as,  in  im- 
itation of  his  example,  and  obedience  to  his  com- 
mands, they  do  from  theirs. 

The  keeping  of  the  Sabbath  is  a  public  demonstra- 
tion that  they  are  not  worshippers  of  idols,  or  any  of 
the  multitudes  of  false  gods  which  many  people  wor- 
ship ;  and  that  they  do  not  belong  to  the  people  who 
worship  no  God,  and  thus  show  that  they  are  without 
God,  and  without  that  hope  which  purifies  the  soul, 
and  will  be  as  an  anchor,  sure  and  steadfast,  and  not 
as  the  spider's  web,  at  the  giving  up  of  the  ghost. 
But  they  are  the  people  who  worship  Jehovah.  They 
show  this  by  keeping  his  Sabbath,  and  through  the 
influence  of  its  means  of  grace,  attendance  upon 
which  is  a  part  of  the  proper  mode  of  keeping   it, 


they  know  him  as  their  God,  and  the  God  of  their 
children,  and  manifest  this  to  the  world. 

This  influence  of  keeping  the  Sabbath,  though  it 
begins  in  the  family,  does  not  stop  there.  It  goes  out 
with  the  youth  when  he  leaves  his  father's  house  and 
engages  in  the  active  duties  of  life.  It  is  felt  in  the 
church  and  on  the  state,  as  one  grand  means  of  that 
godliness  which  is  profitable  unto  all  things,  having 
promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  also  of  that  which 
is  to  come.  Under  its  influence,  not  only  individuals 
and  families,  but  states  and  nations,  are  permanently 
prosperous,  useful,  and  happy. 

"  If  thou  turn  away  thy  foot  from  the  Sabbath, 
from  doing  thy  pleasure  on  my  holy  day,  and  call  the 
Sabbath  a  delight,  the  holy  of  the  Lord,  honorable  ; 
and  shalt  honor  him,  not  doing  thine  own  ways,  nor 
finding  thine  own  pleasure,  nor  speaking  thine  own 
words  ;  then  shalt  thou  delight  thyself  in  the  Lord, 
and  I  will  cause  thee  to  ride  upon  the  high  places  of 
the  earth,  and  feed  thee  with  the  heritage  of  Jacob 
thy  father  ;  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it." 
Isa.  58 :  13,  14.  The  great  principles,  by  the  applica- 
tion of  which  these  blessings  would  be  secured,  are 
still  in  operation,  and  will  secure  to  those  who  rightly 
keep  the  Sabbath  similar  blessings  in  all  countries  and 
in  all  ages. 

In  view  of  the  above  truths,  a  momentous  question 
arises,  and  one  of  deep  personal  interest  to  every  hu- 
man being,  viz. 

What  is  the  proper  mode  of  keeping  the  Sab- 
bath ?  In  what  manner  must  the  day  be  kept,  in 
order  most  fully  to  promote  its  objects,  and  ob- 
tain its  benefits  ? 

In  order  rightly  to  answer  this  question,  we  must 
understand  what  are  the  objects  of  the  Sabbath,  and 
the  manner  in  which  it  is  the  will  of  God  that  men 
should  keep  it. 


The  great  object  of  the  Sabbath  is  to  make  known 
Jehovah,  to  perpetuate  the  acknowledgment  and  wor- 
ship of  him,  and  to  promote  the  spiritual  and  religious 
interests  of  men. 

The  manner  in  which  it  is  to  be  kept,  in  order 
most  fully  to  accomplish  these  objects,  is  indicated  by 
the  directions  of  God  in  the  Scriptures.  Some  of 
these  directions  are  the  following,  viz. 

''  Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy.  Six 
days  shalt  thou  labor,  and  do  all  thy  work  ;  but  the 
seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God  ;  in 
it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor 
thy  daughter,  nor  thy  man-servant,  nor  thy  maid- 
servant, nor  thy  cattle,  nor  thy  stranger  that  is  with- 
in thy  gates,"  that  is,  under  thy  control.  ^'  For  in 
six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and 
all  that  in  them  is,  and  rested  the  seventh  day  ;  where- 
fore the  Lord  blessed  the  Sabbath  day,  and  hallowed 
it."  That  is,  he  set  it  apart  from  other  days,  to  be 
devoted,  not  to  secular,  but  to  sacred  purposes.  Ex. 
20:  8— IL 

Hence  his  directions,  Deut.  5 :  12 — 15,  "  Keep  the 
Sabbath  day  to  sanctify  it,  as  the  Lord  thy  God  hath 
commanded  thee.  Six  days  thou  shalt  labor,  and  do 
all  thy  work  ;  but  the  seventh  day,"  which  is  the  day 
that  comes  next  to  the  sixth  working  day,  ''  is  the 
Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God ;  in  it  thou  shalt  not 
do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter, 
nor  thy  man-servant,  nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor  thine 
ox,  nor  thine  ass,  nor  any  of  thy  cattle,  nor  the  stran- 
ger that  is  within  thy  gates ;  that  thy  man-servant 
and  thy  maidservant  may  rest  as  well  as  thou.^' 

Servants  are  creatures  of  God,  as  well  as  masters. 
They  are  also  sinners,  and  need  his  grace.  They 
have  been  redeemed  by  the  blood  of  his  Son,  and 
may  obtain  salvation  through  him.  They  are  bound, 
on  the  Sabbath,  to  unite  with  others  in  acknowledg- 


ing  and  worshipping  Jehovah,  and  in  promoting  their 
own  spiritual  good,  and  that  of  their  fellow-men.  Of 
course,  it  is  their  duty  and  their  right  to  rest  from 
labor.  Yet,  as  they  are  in  some  respects  depend- 
ent upony  and  under  the  control  of  others,  they  may 
be  urged,  and  placed  under  peculiar  temptations  to 
continue  their  work.  God,  who  is  no  respecter  of 
persons,  and  regards  the  souls  of  servants  as  well  £is 
masters,  has,  therefore,  especially  noticed  their  case. 
It  is  worthy  of  attention  that  the  reason  he  gives  why 
masters,  and  parents,  and  children,  and  cattle,  and 
strangers,  should  rest,  is,  that  the  servants  may  rest 
also.  It  is,  therefore,  evidently  his  will  that  all 
classes  of  persons  should  rest  from  worldly  business 
on  the  Sabbath. 

It  is  equally  plain  that  this  is  his  will  with  regard 
to  BEASTS  OF  BURDEN.  It  manifcsts  the  kindness  of 
Jehovah,  and  also  his  intention  that  none  should  be 
forced  to  invade  the  sacredness  of  the  Sabbath,  that 
he  should  mention  thus  particularly  the  case  of  ser- 
vants and  of  cattle. 

Though  heaven  and  the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot 
contain  him,  and  he  has  ten  thousand  times  ten  thou- 
sand round  about  him,  he  does  not  forget  the  poor  or 
the  dumb.  Not  a  servant  escapes  his  notice,  nor  a 
beast  is  beneath  his  care.  He  never  for  a  moment 
overlooks  the  defenceless,  who  cannot  protect  them- 
selves, or  plead  their  own  cause.  He  compassionates 
their  condition,  and  sympathizes  with  their  wants. 
When,  after  six  days  of  labor,  they  need,  in  addition 
to  the  rest  of  the  nights,  the  rest  also  of  one  day,  he 
guaranties  it  to  them.  And  it  was  with  reference  to 
them,  as  well  as  others,  that  he  made  the  Sabbath, 
set  it  apart  for  sacred  purposes,  gave  it  to  men,  forbade 
them  to  labor  during  its  hours,  and  commanded  them 
to  keep  it  holy. 

To  keep  the  Sabbath  day,  then,  in  a  proper  man- 
ner, oxen  and  owners,  servants  and  masters,  children 
1* 


8 

and  parents^  workmen  and  employers,  sojourners  and 
citizens  J  all,  on  this  day,  must  rest  from  worldly  busi- 
ness, except  so  far  as  works  of  necessary  mercy,  ajid 
the  best  discharge  of  the  appropriate  duties  of  the 
Sabbath  as  a  holy  day,  m,ay  require. 

"  Six  days  thou  shalt  do  thy  work,  and  on  the 
seventh  thou  shalt  rest,  that  thine  ox  and  thine  ass 
may  rest,  and  the  son  of  thy  handmaid,  and  the  stran- 
ger, may  be  refreshed."  Ex.  23  :  12.  Such  is  the 
nature  of  both  man  and  beast,  that,  after  six  days  of 
labor  with  suitable  diligence,  their  most  healthy  re- 
freshment—  that  which  is  needful  for  their  greatest 
comfort  and  usefulness,  that  which  will  be  most  for 
the  honor  of  God  and  the  good  of  the  world  —  requires 
one  day  of  rest.  They  have  a  right  to  it,  and  one 
which  does  not  come  from  men,  or  from  human  gov- 
ernments, but  from  God.  No  man  can  knowingly, 
under  ordinary  circumstances,  or  for  purposes  of  gain, 
deprive  them  of  it  without  great  guilt.  It  is  injus- 
tice towards  the  creature,  and  rebellion  against  the 
Creator. 

"Six  days  thou  shalt  work,  but  on  the  seventh  day 
thou  shalt  rest ;  in  earing-time  and  in  harvest,"  those 
seasons  when  men  are  most  urgently  pressed,  and 
most  strongly  tempted  to  continue  their  employments, 
"  thou  shalt  rest."     Ex.  34:  21. 

"  Six  days  may  work  be  done,  but  the  seventh  is 
the  day  of  rest,  holy  to  the  Lord.  Whosoever  do- 
eth  any  work  shall  surely  be  put  to  death."  Ex. 
31:   15. 

Death  to  the  open,  presumptuous  Sabbath-breaker, 
by  the  hand  of  the  magistrate,  was  a  penalty  in  force 
among  the  Jews  while  God  was  their  civil  ruler.  It 
was  adopted  by  his  direction,  and  was  designed  to 
make  them  a  peculiar  people,  and  keep  them  so  till 
the  death  of  Christ.  But  it  was  not  designed  to  be 
binding  on  other  people,  or  on  them  after  the  close  of 
the  Jewish  dispensation. 


9 

Of  course,  it  was  not,  like  the  Sabbath  law,  written 
by  the  finger  of  God  on  the  tables  of  stone,  or  pnt  in 
the  decalogue  with  the  moral  laws.  It  did  not  belong 
there,  as  it  was  not  to  be  a  permanent  regulation. 
But  the  Sabbath  law  did  belong  there.  It  was,  like 
those  associates,  a  moral  law.  It  expressed  an  obli- 
gation which  grows  out  of  the  nature  of  things,  and 
which  will  continue  to  be  binding  to  the  end  of  the 
world. 

Of  course,  it  was  placed  in  the  moral  code,  in  ac- 
cordance with  that  great  law  maxim,  "  Nosdtur  a  so- 
CMS  ;"'' it  is  known  by  its  associates."  Like  them, 
it  is  a  moral,  permanent,  universal  law ;  while  the 
penalty  —  death  by  the  hand  of  the  civil  magistrate 
—  was  adapted  to  the  object  which  was  then  to  be  ac- 
complished, in  making  the  Jews  a  peculiar  people. 
Of  course,  it  was  placed  in  the  ceremonial  code, 
among  other  local  and  temporary  regulations,  and  was 
itself  local  and  temporary.  The  fourth  command- 
ment was,  in  its  nature  and  in  its  penalty,  like  the 
first  commandment  and  the  fifth.  Those  were  both 
moral  laws  of  perpetual  obligation.  Both  had  a  civil 
penalty  annexed  to  them,  which  was  only  of  local  and 
temporary  application.  The  man  that  set  up  an  idol, 
and  attempted  to  induce  the  people  to  worship  it, 
whether  he  succeeded  or  not,  and  the  son  that  openly 
and  presumptuously  rebelled  against  his  father,  were, 
by  God's  direction,  put  to  death  by  the  magistrate. 
But  those  penalties  were  not  written  on  the  tables  of 
stone,  nor  placed  in  the  permanent  moral  code  ;  Avhile 
the  laws  for  the  violation  of  which  death  was  the 
penalty,  were  placed  there.  They  belonged  there  : 
they  are  there  now ;  and,  till  heaven  and  earth  pass 
away,  they  will  remain  there,  and  bind  all  who  know 
them,  to  the  end  of  time.  So  with  the  fourth  com- 
mandment. It  is  like  its  associates,  in  being  a  moral, 
permanent,  universal  law ;  and  also  in  its  violation, 


10 

having  had,  for  a  time,  by  God's  special  direction, 
death  as  its  civil  penalty. 

Because  the  obligation  to  inflict  that  civil  penalty  is 
done  away,  some  have  contended  that  the  obligation 
to  keep  the  command  is  done  away.  This  is  a  great 
mistake.  The  law  is  one  thing,  and  stands  upon  its 
own  immovable  basis ;  the  civil  penalty,  introduced  for 
a  time  to  accomplish  a  special  purpose,  is  a  very  dif- 
ferent thing,  and  may  be,  or  may  not  be,  connected 
with  it,  according  to  the  appointment  of  God.  As 
well  might  men  argue  that  the  first  command  and  the 
fifth  command  are  not  binding,  because  the  civil  pen- 
alty once  attached  to  them  is  done  away. 

The  civil  penalty  for  theft  in  some  countries  has 
been  death.  That  penalty  has  afterwards  been  ab- 
rogated. But  are  the  people  of  those  countries  re- 
leased, on  that  account,  from  their  obligation  to  obey 
the  command,  "  Thou  shall  nol  steal  "  ? 

The  civil  penalty  attached  by  God,  for  a  time,  to 
the  violation  of  moral  laws,  showed  how  essential  he 
considered  the  observance  of  those  laws  to  the  civil, 
as  well  as  moral  welfare  of  a  people.  The  record  of 
that  fact  shows  the  same  now,  as  far  as  that  record  is 
known.  Though  sentence  against  a  similar  evil  work 
is  not  executed  so  speedily  now  as  it  was  then,  yet, 
as  the  Lawgiver  is  the  same,  and  the  moral  obligation 
to  keep  the  statute  the  same,  it  is  certain,  that  if  the 
crime  be  not  forsaken,  judgment  in  due  time  will 
come,  and  destruction  will  follow. 

''Ye  shall  keep  my  Sabbaths,  and  reverence  my 
sanctuary.  I  am  the  Lord."  Lev.  26  :  2.  "  Six 
days  may  work  be  done  ;  but  the  seventh  day  is  the 
Sabbath  of  rest,  a  holy  convocation,"  or  public  as- 
sembling. ''  Ye  shall  do  no  work  :  it  is  the  Sabbath 
of  the  Lord."      Lev.  23  :  3. 

''  Thus  saith  Jehovah,  Take   heed  to  yourselves, 


11 

and  bear  no  burden  on  the  Sabbath  day,  nor  bring  it 
in  by  the  gates  of  Jerusalem."  Jer.  17  :  21,  etc. 
To  bear  a  burden  is  a  phrase  for  worldly  business,  es- 
pecially mercantile  business,  the  removing  of  goods 
from  one  place  to  another.  "  Neither  carry  forth  a 
burden  out  of  your  houses  on  the  Sabbath  day." 
The  same  principle  applies  to  warehouses,  stores, 
wharves,  railroad  depots,  and  all  places  where  men 
transact  worldly  business.  ''  Neither  do  ye  any 
work."  "Works  of  necessary  mercy,  and  those  which 
are  needful  for  the  proper  discharge  of  the  appropri- 
ate duties  of  the  Sabbath,  are  of  course  excepted. 
''  But  hallow  ye  the  Sabbath  day,  as  I  commanded 
your  fathers."  That  is,  keep  the  Sabbath  as  a  sacred 
day,  in  distinction  from  secular  days,  according  to  the 
fourth  command,  which  has  ever  formed  a  part  of  the 
moral  code,  and  is  not  made  void,  but  is  established, 
by  the  gospel. 

"  But  they,"  their  fathers,  "  obeyed  not  "  his  com- 
mand with  regard  to  the  Sabbath,  ''  neither  inclined 
their  ear."  To  incline  one's  ear,  is  a  biblical  phrase 
for  a  desire  to  hear  and  be  instructed.  It  is  taken 
from  the  well-known  fact,  that  when  a  person  is  spo- 
ken to,  if  he  wishes  to  hear  and  be  instructed,  he  in- 
clines his  ear  towards  the  sound,  that  he  may  hear  it 
more  distinctly,  and  better  understand  the  meaning. 
But  they  who  devoted  the  Sabbath  to  worldly  busi- 
ness, "  inclined  not ;  "  showing  that  they  did  not  wish 
to  hear  the  voice  of  Jehovah,  or  to  have  him  instruct 
them.  This  is  the  case  with  all  persons  who,  for 
purposes  of  gain  or  pleasure,  devote  the  Sabbath  to 
worldly  business,  travelling,  or  amusement.  They 
show  that  they  do  not  wish  to  hear  God,  or  to  have 
him  instruct  them.  Their  conduct  is  understood  in 
heaven  to  mean,  "  Depart  from  us  ;  we  desire  not  the 
knowledge  of  thy  ways."  That  is  its  real  meaning. 
Hence  they  do  not  assemble  in  those  places  where 
God  is  worshipped,  and  where,  through  the  instru- 


12 

mentalities  of  his  appointment,  he  makes  known  his 
will.  They  act  out  the  principle,  ''  Not  thy  will,  but 
mijie,  be  done." 

Thus  the  Jewish  fathers  ''  made  their  necks  stiff, 
that  they  might  not  hear  nor  receive  instruction." 
So  it  is  with  Sabbath-breakers  now.  Their  conduct 
says,  ^'  It  is  a  vain  thing  to  serve  the  Lord."  This  is 
utterly  false,  and  the  practice  of  this  falsehood  tends 
to  produce  a  lying  spirit  among  men ;  as  dishonesty 
towards  God  tends  to  produce  dishonesty  towards 
men.  Hence  the  fact,  that  more  than  ten  times  as 
many  Sabbath-breakers  are  convicts  in  state  prisons, 
as  men  who  have  uniformly  and  conscientiously  "re- 
membered the  Sabbath  day,  and  kept  it  holy."  Rob- 
bing God  tends  to  produce  robbery  and  other  heinous 
crimes  among  men.  On  the  other  hand,  honesty 
towards  God  produces  honesty  towards  men,  and 
tends  to  secure  all  needful  blessings  for  this  life  and 
the  life  to  come.  Hence  the  declaration,  Jer.  17  :  24, 
25,  "  It  shall  come  to  pass,  if  ye  diligently  hearken 
unto  me,  saith  Jehovah,  to  bring  in  no  burdens 
through  the  gates  of  this  city  on  the  Sabbath  day,  but 
hallow  the  Sabbath  day,  to  do  no  work  therein,  then 
shall  there  enter  into  the  gates  of  this  city  kings  and 
princes  sitting  upon  the  throne  of  David," — they 
would  have  lawful  and  good  rulers,  who  would  fear 
God,  and  promote  the  best  interests  of  the  people,  — 
"riding  in  chariots  and  on  horses,  they  and  their 
princes,  the  men  of  Judah,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Je- 
rusalem." That  is,  the  rulers  and  people  would  be 
wealthy,  and  the  nation  be  in  a  prosperous  condition. 
"And  this  city  shall  remain  forever."  Their  bless- 
ings would  be  permanent.  Instead  of  being  the 
means  of  corruption  and  consequent  ruin,  they  would 
render  the  people  grateful  to  the  Giver,  more  obedient 
and  virtuous,  and  thus  they  would  be  perpetuated  as 
long  as  the  sun  and  moon  should  endure. 

"  They  shall  come  from  the  cities  of  Judah,  and 


13 

the  places  about  Jerusalem,"  the  central  parts  of  the 
country,  ''and  from  the  land  of  Benjamm,"  the  east, 
"  and  from  the  plain,"  the  west,  "  from  the  moun- 
tains," the  north,  "  and  from  the  south,"  from  all  parts 
of  the  kingdom,  should  they  keep  the  Sabbath,  they 
would  come  together,  ''  bringing  burnt-offerings,  and 
sacrifices,  and  meat-offerings,  and  incense,  and  bring- 
ing sacrifices  of  praise  unto  the  house  of  the  Lord." 
They  would  be  not  only  a  very  prosperous,  but  a 
very  pious  people  ;  and  this  they  would  show,  not 
only  by  resting  from  worldly  employments  on  the 
Sabbath,  but  also  by  reverencing  the  sanctuary. 
They  would  assemble  together  according  to  God's 
appointment,  and  offer  to  him  their  united,  humble, 
and  grateful  devotion.  He  would  graciously  accept 
them,  and  grant  them  abundantly  and  permanently 
the  blessings  of  his  favor. 

Here  is  solved  the  9nomentous  question  with  regard 
to  the  purity  and  permanence  of  free  institutions. 

How  can  a  nation  be  very  prosperous,  and  at  the 
same  time  pure  and  holy  ?  How  can  they  promote 
that  intelligence  and  virtue  which  are  essential  to  the 
purity  and  permanence  of  free  institutions,  and  thus 
perpetuate  their  blessings  ?  By  keeping  holy  the 
Sabbath  day.  Let  them  confine  their  secular  busi- 
ness and  cares,  their  travelling  and  amusements,  to 
six  days  in  a  week,  and  sacredly  devote  the  Sabbath 
to  the  worship  of  God  and  the  promotion  of  the  spirit- 
ual good  of  men,  and  the  blessings  of  the  Lord  of 
the  Sabbath,  in  copious  abundance,  will  continue  to 
descend  upon  them.  Their  prosperity,  instead  of 
rendering  them  more  wicked  through  its  abuse,  and 
ripening  them  for  ruin,  will  make  them  more  holy, 
and,  through  grace,  fit  them  for  permanent  blessings 
on  earth,  and  for  endless  life  in  heaven. 

"  But,  if  ye  will  not  hearken  unto  me,"  saith  Jeho- 
vah, "to  hallow,"  that  is,  keep  holy,  the  "Sabbath 
day,  and  not  to  bear   a  burden,  even  entering  in  at 


14 

the  gates  of  Jerusalem  on  the  Sabbath  day,  then  will 
I  kindle  a  fire  in  the  gates  thereof,  and  it  shall  devour 
the  palaces  of  Jerusalem,  and  it  shall  not  be  quenched." 

Such  are  the  representations  of  God  in  the  Scrip- 
tures concerning  his  will  with  regard  to  the  keeping 
of  the  Sabbath.  They  show  most  clearly  that  it  is 
his  will,  that  all  men  should  rest  from  their  labors,  and 
keep  the  day  holy.  Yet  his  ancient  people  did  not, 
and  would  not,  thus  keep  the  Sabbath.  They  de- 
voted it  to  worldly  business  and  pleasures.  He,  ac- 
cording to  his  threatening,  kindled  a  fire,  or  in  his 
providence  suffered  one  to  be  kindled,  in  their  palaces, 
which  they  could  not  quench.  Their  city  was  made 
a  desolation,  and  the  inhabitants  were  carried  into 
captivity,  according  to  his  declaration  :  "  I  will  scatter 
you  among  the  heathen,  and  will  draw  out  a  sword 
after  you.  Your  land  shall  be  desolate,  and  your 
cities  waste.  Then  shall  the  land  enjoy  her  Sab- 
baths ;  as  long  as  it  lieth  desolate,  and  ye  be  in  your 
enemies'  country,  even  then  shall  the  land  rest,  and 
enjoy  her  Sabbaths.  As  long  as  it  lieth  desolate  it 
shall  rest,  because  it  did  not  rest  in  your  Sabbaths, 
when  ye  dwelt  upon  it."     Lev.  26:  33,  etc. 

After  their  return  from  captivity,  and  their  settle- 
ment in  their  own  land,  when  they  began  again  to 
break  the  Sabbath,  Nehemiah,  their  leader,  who  knew 
the  cause  of  their  captivity,  said  to  them,  •'  What  evil 
thing  is  this  that  ye  do,  and  profane  the  Sabbath  day  ? 
Did  not  your  fathers  thus,  and  did  not  our  God  bring 
all  this  evil  upon  us,  and  upon  this  city  ?  Yet  ye 
bring  more  wrath  upon  Israel  by  profaning  the  Sab- 
bath day."     Nehemiah  13:  17,  18. 

Thus  he  represents  the  profanation  of  the  Sabbath 
as  the  grand  cause  of  their  ruin,  as  the  prophet  Jere- 
miah had  foretold  that  it  would  be.  Inspired  men, 
speaking  and  writing  under  the  direction  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  represent  abstinence  from  worldly  business, 
cares,  and  pleasures,  on  the  Sabbath,  and  the  keeping 


16 

of  the  day  holy  to  the  Lord,  as  the  great  means  of 
permanent  temporal  and  spiritual  prosperity,  and  the 
desecration  of  the  Sabbath  as  the  sure  cause  of  ruin. 

What  is  the  reason  of  this  ?  Why  is  the  keeping 
of  the  Sabbath  so  vital  to  human  welfare  ?  Because 
without  it  men  cannot  act  in  accordance  with  the  na- 
ture of  things  as  manifested  in  creation,  providence, 
and  grace.  They  cannot  obey  the  revelation  of 
God's  will,  or  secure  the  blessings  of  his  favor.  If 
they  continue  to  disobey  him  with  regard  to  the  Sab- 
bath, they  will  disobey  him  in  other  things,  and  thus 
draw  down  upon  them  his  curse.  And  if  they  do 
obey  him  in  this,  they  will,  under  his  blessing,  be  led 
to  obey  him  in  other  things.  The  Sabbath-keeping 
people,  according  to  the  will  of  God,  will  be  an  obe- 
dient people.  Of  course  they  will  be  a  holy,  a  useful, 
a  happy  people.  Keeping  the  Sabbath  day  holy  tends 
to  make  them  holy.  Such  is  the  nature  of  men,  such 
the  nature  of  the  Sabbath,  and  such  the  blessing 
which  the  Lord  of  the  Sabbath  bestows  upon  those 
who,  out  of  regard  to  him,  keep  it  holy,  that  tempo- 
ral and  spiritual  prosperity  are  its  sure  results.  "  The 
Sabbath  was  made  for  man,"  in  order  that,  by  the 
keeping  of  it,  he  might  be  instrumental,  through 
grace,  in  securing  these  blessings. 

On  the  other  hand,  as  the  abuse  of  the  best  things 
is  productive  of  the  greatest  evils,  the  desecration  of 
the  Sabbath  tends  to  infinite  mischief  It  operates 
on  the  character  like  the  poisoning  of  the  atmosphere 
on  bodily  health.  It  is  like  the  letting  out  of  great 
waters,  to  flow  over  fruitful  fields,  become  stagnant 
and  putrid,  and  spread  disease,  contagion,  and  death 
through  the  land. 

Hence  it  is  spoken  of  as  the  sum  of  wickedness, 
the  procuring  cause  and  sure  precursor  of  personal  and 
national  ruin. 

But  it  is  eisked,  "  Did  not  our  Savior  teach  a  dif- 
No.  4.  2 


16 

ferent  doctrine  with  regard  to  the  lawfulness  of 
worldly  business  and  amusements  on  the  Sabbath  ? 
Did  he  not  teach  that  the  Sabbath  law,  if  not  abro- 
gated, is  relaxed  in  its  obligations,  and  that,  if  men 
find  it  inconvenient  or  expensive  to  rest  on  that  day, 
they  are  at  liberty  to  pursue  their  business  ?  "  No  : 
he  taught  no  such  doctrine  ;  nor  did  he  imply,  in  any 
thing  he  said  or  did,  that  the  obligations  to  keep  the 
Sabbath  as  a  holy  day  were,  or  under  the  gospel  would 
be,  diminished.  In  proof  of  this,  let  us  examine  his 
teaching  and  conduct  with  regard  to  the  Sabbath. 

"  Jesus  went  on  the  Sabbath  day  through  the  corn, 
and  his  disciples  were  an  hungered,  and  began  to 
pluck  the  ears  of  corn,  and  to  eat."  —  Matt.  12  :  1, 
etc.  They  were  going,  it  is  supposed,  to  public  wor- 
ship. The  word  rendered  corn  is  a  general  name  for 
grain.  It  might  have  been  barley,  or  some  other 
grain.  The  disciples  might  not  have  had  their  usual 
meal,  and  been  annoyed  with  hunger.  They  there- 
fore took  some  heads  of  grain,  rubbed  out  the  kernels 
m  their  hands,  and  ate  them,  as  any  one  might  have 
done,  under  like  circumstances,  on  any  day.  The 
Pharisees,  a  sect  among  the  Jews,  idolatrously  devot- 
ed to  their  own  traditions,  who  tithed  mint,  anise,  and 
cumin,  and  omitted  the  weightier  matters  of  the 
law,  — judgment,  mercy,  and  faith,  — objected  to  the 
conduct  of  the  disciples,  and  said  to  Jesus,  ''  Why  do 
thy  disciples  do  that  which  is  not  lawful  on  the  Sab- 
bath day  ?  "  They  had  not  done  what  was  not  law- 
ful. What  they  had  done  was  allowed  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. It  was  contrary  to  the  traditions  of  the  Phari- 
sees, but  it  was  not  contrary  to  the  law  of  God. 

He  had  said,  "  When  thou  comest  into  the  stand- 
ing corn  of  thy  neighbor,  then  mayest  thou  pluck  the 
ears  with  thy  hand  ;  but  thou  shalt  not  move  a  sickle 
unto  thy  neighbor's  standing  corn."  Under  the  cir- 
cumstances in  which  they  were  placed,  it  was  lawful 
to  do  ihis  on  the  Sabbath.     This  Jesus  showed,  not 


17 

by  intimating  that  the  Sabbath  would  be  abrogated 
or  relaxed,  but  by  appealing,  in  justification  of  their 
conduct,  to  the  Bible,  and  the  example  of  holy  men. 
''  Have  ye  not  read  what  David  did,  when  he  was  an 
hungered,  and  they  that  were  with  him ;  how  he 
went  into  the  house  of  God,  and  did  eat  the  shew- 
bread,  which  it  was  not  lawful  for  him  to  eat,  neither 
for  them  that  were  with  him,"  that  is,  on  ordinary 
occasions,  "  but  only  for  the  priests  ?  "  And  "  have 
ye  not  read  in  the  law,  how  that  on  the  Sabbath  days 
the  priests  in  the  temple  profane  the  Sabbath,  and  are 
blameless  ?  "  That  is,  they  do  what  would  be  profan- 
ation, if  it  were  done  for  secular  purposes,  and  not  re- 
quired by  the  appropriate  duties  of  the  Sabbath.  But 
the  Sabbath  has  always  permitted  the  satisfying  of 
hunger,  and  the  performance  of  such  labor  as  the 
duties  of  the  Sabbath  require.  Of  course  David,  and 
the  priests,  and  the  disciples,  had  done  nothing  im- 
proper. The  blameless  example  of  the  former  fully 
justified  the  latter,  and  the  Pharisees  had  no  good 
reason  for  complaint.  Nor  have  modern  Sabbath- 
breakers  any  better  reason  for  thinking  that  Jesus  in- 
timated that  the  obligations  of  the  Sabbath  law  are 
done  away  or  diminished ;  or  for  appealing  to  his  in- 
structions or  example  to  justify  themselves  in  secular 
business,  travelling,  or  amusement  on  the  Sabbath. 
He  teaches  no  such  doctrine. 

He  added,  ''  But  I  say  unto  you,  In  this  place  is 
one  greater  than  the  temple.  If  ye  had  known  what 
this  meaneth,  I  will  have  mercy  and  not  sacrifice,  ye 
would  not  have  condemned  the  guiltless  ;  "  as  they 
had  done  in  condemning  his  disciples.  "  For  the  Son 
of  man,"  said  he,  meaning  himself,  "  is  Lord  even  of 
the  Sabbath  day."  If  it  was  proper  for  David  and 
his  men,  when  they  were  hungry,  to  eat  even  the 
shew-bread,  which  ordinarily  it  was  not  proper  for 
any  to  eat  except  the  priests,  much  more  was  it  prop- 
er for  his  disciples,  when  they  were  hungry,  to  eat 


18 

common  grain.  And  if  it  was  proper  for  the  priests 
on  the  Sabbath  to  do  all  that  was  needful  to  prepare 
and  offer  the  sacrifices  in  the  temple,  as  it  evidently 
was,  much  more  was  it  proper  for  his  disciples,  in 
ministering  unto  Him  who  was  greater  than  the  tem* 
pie,  in  whom  dwelt  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead 
bodily,  to  do  what  was  needful  for  that  purpose.  The 
objection  of  the  Pharisees  was  therefore  groundless. 
It  only  showed  their  ignorance  of  what  the  Sabbath 
law  and  the  example  of  holy  men  always  sanctioned. 
Had  they  been  as  well  acquainted  with  the  spirit  of 
the  Scriptures  as  they  ought  to  have  been,  they  would 
have  known  this,  and  not  condemned  Jesus  or  his 
disciples.  Such  is  the  argument  of  our  Savior,  and 
such  the  instruction  which  it  affords  us.  But  not  a 
word  did  he  utter,  not  an  intimation  did  he  give,  that 
the  Sabbath  law  would  be  abrogated  or  relaxed.  The 
circumstances  did  not  require  this  ;  for  his  disciples 
had  done  nothing  amiss.  This  he  clearly  showed  ; 
and,  but  for  the  ignorance  of  the  Pharisees,  or  their 
malice,  or  both,  they  would  have  seen  it. 

"  And  when  he  departed,  he  went  into  their  syn- 
agogue. And  behold,  there  was  a  man  which  had 
his  hand  withered.  And  they  asked  him,  saying,  Is 
it  lawful  to  heal  on  the  Sabbath  day  ?  that  they  might 
accuse  him.^^  Here  was  the  spring  of  their  inquiry. 
They  did  not  ask  for  information,  but  to  obtain 
grounds  of  accusation.  "He  answered  and  said. 
What  man  shall  there  be  among  you  that  shall  have 
one  sheep,  and  if  it  fall  into  a  pit  on  the  Sabbath  day, 
will  he  not  lay  hold  of  it,  and  lift  it  out  ?  "  They 
knew  that  any  man  would :  they  would  do  it  them- 
selves. He  added,  ''  How  much  better,  then,  is  a 
man  than  a  sheep  ?  "  If  it  is  proper  to  restore  a  sheep 
on  the  Sabbath,  how  much  more  proper  to  restore  a 
man  !  He  therefore  said  to  the  man,  "  Stretch  forth 
thine  hand."  He  did  so,  "  and  it  was  restored  whole, 
like  as  the  other."     "  Then  the   Pharisees  went  out, 


19 

and  held  a  council  against  him,  how  they  might  de- 
stroy him.^^  But  there  was  no  good  reason  why  they 
should  do  this.  He  had  said  nothing  about  the  Sab- 
bath being  done  away,  or  the  obhgation  to  keep  it 
being  relaxed.  He  had  said  something  which  was 
adapted  to  correct  their  errors,  while  all  his  sayings 
and  doings  had  been  in  perfect  accordance  with  the 
meaning  and  spirit  of  the  fourth  commandment. 

The  next  case  which  we  will  examine  is  recorded 
Luke  13  :  11,  etc.  He  was  teaching  in  one  of  their 
synagogues,  or  places  of  public  worship,  as  his  cus- 
tom was,  on  the  Sabbath.  '•'  And  there  was  a  woman 
who  had  had  a  spirit  of  infirmity  eighteen  years,  and 
was  bowed  together,  and  could  in  no  wise  lift  up  her- 
self. And  when  Jesus  saw  her,  he  called  her  to  him, 
and  said,  Woman,  thou  art  loosed  from  thine  infirmity. 
And  he  laid  his  hands  on  her,  and  immediately  she 
was  made  straight,  and  glorified  God.  And  the  ruler 
of  the  synagogue  answered  with  indignation,  because 
that  Jesus  had  healed  on  the  Sabbath  day,  and  said  to 
the  people.  There  are  six  days  in  which  men  ought 
to  work  ;  in  them,  therefore,  come  and  be  healed,  and 
not  on  the  Sabbath  day  ; "  as  if  healing  were  a  work 
which  was  forbidden  by  the  fourth  commandment ; 
whereas  the  fact  was,  it  was  forbidden  only  by  their 
traditions.  Had  they  felt  and  acted  rightly,  they 
would  have  known  this.  Our  Lord  therefore  an- 
swered and  said,  "  Thou  hypocrite,  doth  not  each  one 
of  you  on  the  Sabbath  loose  his  ox  or  his  ass,  and 
lead  him  away  to  watering  ?  "  No  doubt  they  did  j 
it  was  proper  that  they  should.  And  if  it  was  proper 
to  relieve  a  beast  from  the  inconvenience  of  thirst,  it 
was  proper  to  relieve  this  woman,  when  it  could  be 
done  with  much  greater  ease,  and  with  far  less  labor. 
"  Ought  not  this  woman,  being  a  daughter  of  Abra- 
ham, whom  Satan  hath  bound,  lo,  these  eighteen 
years,  to  be  loosed  from  that  bond  on  the  Sabbath 
day?     And  when  he  had  said  these  things,  all  his 


20 

adversaries  were  ashamed."  Well  they  might  be,  for 
they  were  engaged  in  a  shameful  business,  and  were 
prosecuting  it  in  a  shameful  way.  But  '•  the  people 
rejoiced  for  all  the  glorious  things  that  were  done  by 
him."  They  rejoiced,  not  because  he  was  breaking 
the  Sabbath,  as  the  Pharisees  contended,  and  as  Sab- 
bath-breakers now  contend,  but  because,  in  perfect 
accordance  with  the  Old  Testament,  he  was  doing 
well  in  relieving  distress.  Wherefore  he  said,  "  It  is 
lawful  to  do  well  on  the  Sabbath  day." 

Equally  unreasonable  were  his  accusers,  and  equal- 
ly wise  and  good  was  his  conduct  at  the  pool  of  Be- 
thesda.  John  5  :  2,  etc.  '*  A  certain  man  was  there, 
who  had  had  an  infirmity  thirty  and  eight  years. 
Jesus  saw  him,  and  knew  that  he  had  been  a  long  time 
in  that  condition,  and  he  said  to  him,  Wilt  thou  be 
made  whole  ?  The  impotent  man  answered  him.  Sir, 
I  have  no  man,  when  the  water  is  troubled,  to  put  me 
into  the  pool ;  but  while  I  am  coming,  another  step- 
peth  down  before.  For  an  angel  went  down  at  a 
certain  time  into  the  pool,  and  troubled  the  water,  and 
whosoever  then  first  stepped  in  was  healed  of  what- 
soever disease  he  had.  Jesus  saith  to  him.  Rise,  take 
up  thy  bed,  and  walk.  Immediately  the  man  rose, 
took  up  his  bed,  and  departed.  The  same  day  was 
the  Sabbath.  The  Jews  therefore  said  to  him  that 
was  cured.  It  is  not  lawful  for  thee  to  carry  thy  bed. 
He  answered,  He  that  made  me  whole,  the  same  said 
unto  me.  Take  up  thy  bed,  and  walk.  They  asked 
him.  What  man  is  that  which  said  unto  thee.  Take 
up  thy  bed,  and  walk  ?  But  he  knew  not  who  it  was  ; 
for  Jesus  had  removed  himself  away,  a  multitude 
being  in  that  place."  The  man  went  up  to  the  tem- 
ple, where  Jesus  found  him,  and  said  unto  him,  "  Be- 
hold, thou  art  made  whole  ;  sin  no  more,  lest  a  worse 
thing  come  upon  thee."  The  man  departed,  and  told 
the  Jews  that  it  was  Jesus  who  had  made  him  whole. 
Therefore  the  Jews  persecuted  Jesus,  and  sought  to 


21 

kill  him,  because  he  had  done  these  things  on  the 
Sabbath  day.  But  they  had  no  good  reason  for  seek- 
ing to  kill  him  ;  for  the  Sabbath  law  did  not  forbid 
what  he  had  done.  It  was  not  work,  or  labor,  or 
worldly  business,  in  the  sense  which  was  forbidden 
in  the  fourth  commandment.  It  was  bestowing 
money  upon  the  needy,  in  the  sense  of  the  declara- 
tion of  Jehovah,  "  I  will  have  mercy,  and  not  sacri- 
fice," and  it  was  part  of  that  "  doing  well "  which 
was  always  lawful  on  the  Sabbath. 

Nor  was  the  carrying  of  the  couch  by  the  man  that 
was  healed,  carrying  a  burden  in  the  sense  which 
was  forbidden.  That  was  bearing  burdens,  goods,  or 
produce,  in  the  prosecution  of  worldly  business,  for 
purposes  of  gain  or  pleasure  ;  not,  at  the  command  of 
the  divine  Savior,  carrying  a  couch  in  evidence  of 
having  been  by  him  miraculously  healed  of  a  pro- 
tracted disease.  This  was  perfectly  consistent  with 
the  most  intelligent  and  sacred  regard  to  the  Sabbath. 
And  when  the  facts  were  known,  it  was  not  adapted 
in  the  least  to  relax  a  regard  for  the  day,  or  to  indicate 
that  the  Sabbath  was  ever  to  be  devoted  to  worldly 
concerns.  So  with  all  that  Jesus  ever  said  or  did. 
He  came,  not  to  abolish  or  lower  any  part  of  the 
moral  law,  but  to  fulfil  it,  rightly  to  explain  it,  and 
faithfully  to  obey  and  apply  it.  In  this,  he  set  an  ex- 
ample that  we  should  walk  in  his  steps.  And  till 
heaven  and  earth  pass  away,  not  a  jot  or  tittle  of  the 
moral  law  will  fail.  The  faithful  preaching  of  the 
gospel,  instead  of  making  any  part  of  it  void,  always 
establishes  it.  This  Paul  declares  concerning  his 
preaching,  and  it  may  be  declared  in  truth  concerning 
the  preaching  and  the  writings  of  all  men  who  are 
like  him. 

But  if  Jesus  Christ  did  not  break  the  Sabbath,  and 
did  not  say  or  do  any  thing  which  showed  that  it 
would  be  abolished,  or  the  obligation  to  keep  it  holy 
be  relaxed,  why  were  the  Pharisees  so  constantly  at 


23 

variance  with  him  on  this  subject ;  and  why  did  they 
so  often  accuse  him  of  breaking  the  Sabbath  ?  Be- 
cause they  hated  him,  and  because  he  violated  their 
traditions  about  the  Sabbath.  The  fact  was,  they 
had.  added  to  the  Sabbath  law,  as  they  had  to  other 
laws,  numerous  traditions  of  their  own,  and  they  re- 
garded these  more  than  they  did  the  law  itself.  Thus 
they  often  made  void  the  law  through  their  traditions. 
These  traditions  Jesus  disregarded,  and  showed  by 
words  and  deeds  that  they  were  vain.  He  thus  de- 
monstrated that  they  were  false  teachers  ;  blind  lead- 
ers of  the  blind.  This  greatly  enraged  them,  and 
led  them  to  watch  occasions  of  accusation  against 
him. 

For  instance  ;  they  said,  that  if  a  son  should  say 
of  that  portion  of  property  with  which  he  ought  to 
assist  his  parents,  "It  is  corban,"  that  is,  a  gift  de- 
voted to  the  Lord,  he  was  released  from  his  obligation 
to  assist  them,  though  God  had  commanded  him  to 
do  it.  Thus  they  made  void  the  law  of  God  through 
their  traditions.  So  it  was  with  the  fourth  command- 
ment. They  had  added  to  it  numerous  and  cumbrous 
errors,  which  tended  to  lead  the  mind  to  a  blind  and 
superstitious  regard  for  them,  and  to  overlook  and  dis- 
regard the  spiritual  meaning  and  real  object  of  the 
Sabbath. 

They  enumerated  about  forty  primary  works,  which 
they  said  were  forbidden  to  be  done  on  the  Sabbath, 
Under  each  of  these  were  numerous  secondary  works, 
which  they  said  were  also  forbidden.  These  were  so 
explained  as  to  include  works  of  mercy  performed 
by  Jesus,  and  thus  to  make  him  a  Sabbath-breaker. 
Hence,  they  said,  he  could  not  be  the  Messiah,  for  he 
did  not,  in  the  sense  of  their  traditions,  keep  the  Sab- 
bath. 

Among  the  primary  works  which  were  forbidden, 
were  ploughing,  sowing,  reaping,  winnowing,  clean- 
ing, grinding,  etc.      Under  the  head  of  grinding  was 


23 

included  the  breaking  or  dividing  of  things  which 
were  before  united.  Of  course,  when  the  disciples 
broke  off  the  heads  of  grain,  and  rubbed  out  the  ker- 
nels in  their  hands,  and  ate  them,  it  was  a  dividing  of 
things  which  were  before  united,  a  species  of  grind- 
ing, which  was,  in  their  view,  forbidden,  and  unlaw- 
ful on  the  Sabbath  day. 

Another  of  their  traditions  was,  that,  as  threshing 
on  the  Sabbath  was  forbidden,  the  bruising  of  things, 
which  was  a  species  of  threshing,  was  also  forbidden. 
Of  course,  it  was  a  violation  of  the  Sabbath  to  walk 
on  green  grass,  for  that  would  bruise  or  thresh  it. 
So,  as  a  man  might  not  hunt  on  the  Sabbath,  he 
might  not  catch  a  flea,  for  that  was  a  species  of  hunt- 
ing. As  a  man  might  not  carry  a  burden  on  the  Sab- 
bath, he  might  not  carry  water  to  a  thirsty  animal, 
for  that  was  a  species  of  burden ;  but  he  might  pour 
water  into  a  trough,  and  lead  the  animal  to  it.  It 
was  on  this  ground  that  they  objected  to  the  man's 
carrying  his  couch  from  the  pool  of  Bethesda.  Yet, 
should  a  sheep  fall  into  a  pit,  they  would  readily  lift 
him  out,  and  bear  him  to  a  place  of  safety.  They 
would  also  loose  an  ox  or  an  ass  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
lead  him  away  to  watering.  Yet  they  objected  to 
our  Savior's  loosing  a  woman  from  her  infirmity, 
though  she  had  been  bound  by  it  eighteen  years,  and 
he  could  loose  her  by  a  word.  Thus  they  '^  strained 
at  a  gnat,  and  swallowed  a  camel." 

They  said  a  man  might  minister  to  the  sick  for  the 
purpose  of  relieving  their  distress,  but  not  for  the  pur- 
pose of  healing  their  diseases.  He  might  put  a  cover- 
ing on  a  diseased  eye,  or  anoint  it  with  eye-salve,  for 
the  purpose  of  easing  the  pain,  but  not  to  cure  the 
eye.  Hence  the  eagerness  with  which  they  watched 
the  Savior,  to  see  whether  he  would  heal  on  the  Sab- 
bath, that,  if  he  should,  they  might  accuse  him.  And 
when  he  did  heal,  and  did  it  on  purpose  to  show  the 
futility  of  their  objections,  as  well  as  his  power  to 


24 

remove  diseases,  they  were  filled  with  wrath,  and 
sought  to  kill  him,  though  he  showed  from  the 
Scriptures,  and  from  their  own  admissions,  that  he 
had  done  nothing  wrong.  He  stripped  the  Sabbath 
of  the  false  appendages  which  they  had  attached  to 
it,  vindicated  its  divine  authority  and  permanent  ob- 
ligation, pointed  out  its  true  objects  -and  the  proper 
manner  of  observing  it,  that  his  disciples,  guided  by 
his  teaching  and  example,  might  in  all  ages  remember 
it  and  keep  it  holy. 

One  of  the  Jewish  doctors  said,  ''  Let  no  one  con- 
sole the  sick  or  visit  the  mourning  on  the  Sabbath." 
And  so  scrupulous  were  they,  that  sometimes  they 
would  not  even  defend  themselves  when  attacked  by 
their  enemies,  but  would  suffer  themselves,  without 
resistance,  to  be  cut  in  pieces  rather  than  violate  their 
traditions.  In  one  case,  a  thousand  persons  were 
thus  destroyed.  1  Mac.  11:  34,  etc.  Though  they 
afterwards  admitted  that  men  might  defend  them- 
selves if  attacked,  still  they  contended  that  they 
might  not  do  any  thing  to  hinder  their  enemies  from 
making  preparation  to  attack  them.  Pompey,  the 
Roman  general,  knowing  this,  when  besieging  Jeru- 
salem, would  not  attack  them  on  the  Sabbath,  but 
spent  the  day  in  constructing  his  works,  and  prepar- 
ing to  attack  them  on  Monday,  and  in  a  manner  that 
they  could  not  withstand;  and  so  he  took  the  city. 

They  would  not  on  the  Sabbath  even  take  down 
the  bodies  of  those  who  were  crucified.  Hence  they 
besought  Pilate  that  the  death  of  Jesus,  and  of  those 
who  were  crucified  with  him,  might  be  hastened  by 
the  breaking  of  their  legs,  so  that  their  bodies  might 
be  taken  down  before  the  Sabbath  began. 

But,  with  all  this  scrupulosity,  they  could,  with 
wicked  hands,  crucify  him,  and  impiously  say,  "His 
blood  be  on  us,  and  on  our  children."  With  good 
reason,  therefore,  did  he  say,  "  Ye  hypocrites,  ye  gen- 
eration of  vipers,  how  can  ye  escape  the  damnation 


25 

of  hell  ? "  Without  repentance  of  their  sins,  and 
faith  in  him  as  their  Redeemer,  they  could  not  escape. 

"  But,  if  the  Sabbath  was  to  be  remembered  and 
kept  holy,  according  to  the  requirements  of  the  moral 
law,  why  did  Jesas  not  say  more  about  the  keeping 
of  it  ?  Why  did  he  not  exhort  them  to  rest  from 
their  labors  ?  "  Because  it  was  not  needful.  As  to 
external  rest,  they  already  kept  it,  and  with  supersti- 
tious exactness.  Those  who  would  not  on  that  day 
heal  the  sick,  walk  on  green  grass,  take  water  to  a 
thirsty  animal,  carry  a  couch,  or  catch  a  flea,  did  not 
need  to  be  exhorted  to  abstain  from  worldly  business. 
They  knew  that  to  be  a  duty,  and  of  permanent  obli- 
gation. What  they  needed  was,  to  have  the  keeping 
of  it  stripped  of  the  false  glosses  and  superstitious 
observances  with  which  they  had  encumbered  it ;  to 
have  the  true  object  of  the  day,  and  the  spirit  with 
which  it  should  be  kept,  pointed  out.  This  was 
what  he  did,  by  word  and  deed,  even  at  the  hazard 
of  his  life. 

Did  they  contend  that  hunger  should  go  unap- 
peased  rather  than  that  a  man  should  pluck  heads  of 
grain,  rub  out  the  kernels,  and  eat  them  ?  He  suf- 
fered his  disciples  to  do  this,  and  from  the  Bible  vin- 
dicated their  course. 

Did  they  contend  that  the  sick  should  not  be 
healed,  even  by  Him  who  could  do  it  with  a  word  ? 
He  repeatedly  did  it ;  saying  to  the  woman  who  had 
been  eighteen  years  ill,  "  Thou  art  loosed  from  thine 
infirmity ; "  to  the  paralytic,  "  Stretch  forth  thine 
hand ; "  and  to  the  man  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda, 
after  thirty-eight  years  of  confinement,  "Rise,  take 
up  thy  bed,  and  walk."  They  immediately  did  so  — 
a  most  conclusive  testimony  from  God  that  the  silly 
traditions  of  the  Pharisees  were  in  opposition  to  his 
will.  The  blind  received  their  sight,  the  lame 
walked,  lepers  were  cleansed,  the  deaf  heard,  the 
dead    were     raised,    and   the    poor   had   the    gospel 


preached  to  them ;  thus  demonstrating  that  he  was 
the  Messiah,  that  the  Pharisees,  in  opposing  him,  were 
of  their  father  the  devil,  and  that  the  hists  of  their 
father  they  would  do. 

At  all  points  he  rebuked  their  superstitions,  stripped 
off  false  glosses,  and  trampled  down  their  traditions. 
But  he  never  broke  the  fourth  commandment,  or  vio- 
lated any  of  the  moral  laws.  He  never  said  or  did 
any  thing  which  countenanced  the  idea  that  there 
was  not  to  be  a  weekly  Sabbath  under  the  gospel,  or 
that  it  was  not  to  be  kept  in  as  holy  a  manner  as 
under  the  law.  But  all  that  he  said  and  did  was 
adapted  to  show  that  "  the  Sabbath  was  made  for 
man  ;  "  not  for  the  Jews  only,  or  for  any  particular 
part  of  the  human  race,  in  one  age  or  country,  but 
for  the  whole  human  family.  Of  course,  in  propor- 
tion to  the  light  which  men  have,  as  to  the  will  of 
God,  they  are  bound  to  remember  it  and  keep  it  holy, 
not  to  do  any  work,  they,  or  their  children,  or  ser- 
vants, or  cattle,  or  any  under  their  control ;  hut  to 
hallow  the  Sabbat Ji  and  reverence  the  sanctuary,  ab- 
staining conscientiously  from  worldly  business,  trav- 
elling, and  amusement,  and  devoting  the  day  to  the 
ivorship  of  God  and  the  promotion  of  the  spiritual 
good  of  men. 

But  does  not  Paul  say  or  imply  (2  Cor.  3  :  2,  etc.) 
that  the  moral  law  is  done  away  under  the  gospel  ; 
and  that  thus  the  obligation  to  keep  the  Sabbath  has 
ceased  ?  No  ;  he  says  and  implies  no  such  thing.  All 
that  he  says,  here  or  elsewhere,  instead  of  making 
void  the  moral  law,  goes  to  establish  it ;  not  as  a 
ground  of  justification,  but  as  a  rule  of  duty  ;  not  as 
a  part  of  the  Jewish  dispensation,  —  for  that  was  abol- 
ished at  the  death  of  Christ,  —  but  as  a  part  of  the 
moral  government  of  God,  which  is  binding  under  all 
dispensations.  The  obligation  to  obey  this  law,  in- 
stead of  being  diminished,  is  increased  by  the  gospel. 


27 

One  of  the  peculiar  glories  of  the  gospel,  and  that 
which  renders  it  so  far  superior  to  the  Jewish  dispen- 
sation, is,  that  under  the  gospel  the  Holy  Spirit  much 
more  extensively  writes  this  law  upon  the  hearts  of 
m,en,  inclining  them  to  obey  it,  not  outwardly,  or  in  the 
letter  m^erely,  but  in  spirit  and  in  truth. 

It  is  not  having  the  letter  of  the  law  on  tables  of 
stone,  or  in  their  hands,  that  will  save  men,  but  it  is 
having  the  law  written  upon  their  hearts  by  the  Holy- 
Spirit,  as  is  done  to  a  much  greater  extent  under  the 
gospel  than  it  was  under  the  law.  It  is  this  that  con- 
stitutes the  superior  glory  of  the  gospel.  And  it  is 
this  superior  glory  of  the  gospel,  as  the  dispensation 
peculiarly  of  the  Spirit,  that  Paul  sets  forth  in  the 
third  chapter  of  the  second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians. 
The  Jews  were  prone  to  place  a  high  value  upon  the 
former  dispensation,  and  to  glory  in  it,  while  they  set 
themselves  in  opposition  to  Christ,  saying,  "  We  know 
that  God  spake  to  Moses  ;  but  as  for  this  fellow,  we 
know  not  whence  he  is."  "  This  man  is  not  of  God, 
because  he  keepeth  not  the  Sabbath  day."  "Give 
God  the  praise,  for  we  know  that  this  man  is  a  sin- 
ner." 

There  was,  at  the  giving  of  the  law,  and  the  in- 
troduction of  the  Jewish  dispensation,  great  visible 
glory,  and  much  that  was  calculated  to  impress  the 
senses.  It  caused  the  face  of  Moses  so  to  shine  that 
the  people  could  not  steadfastly  behold  it.  But  there 
was  under  the  gospel  much  greater  glory ;  not  mate- 
rial, impressing  the  outward  senses,  but  spiritual,  af- 
fecting the  feelings  and  dispositions  of  the  heart. 
The  one  was  as  much  superior  to  the  other,  as  its 
effects  would  be  more  durable  and  glorious.  Under 
the  one,  the  moral  precepts  were  written  on  tables  of 
stone,  and  their  observance  was  inculcated  by  out- 
ward forms  and  ceremonies,  numerous  and  burden- 
some, called,  in  the  New  Testament,  "  carnal  ordi- 
nances." The  other  taught  them  with  greater  clear- 
No.  4.  3 


28 

ness  and  fulness,  and  proclaimed  them  with  greater 
effect ;  writing  them  on  the  fleshly  tables  of  the  heart, 
in  fulfilment  of  the  promise,  ''  I  will  put  my  law  in 
their  inward  parts,  and  write  it  in  their  hearts,  and 
will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people." 
But  this,  instead  of  doing  away  the  law,  established 
it,  and  gave  it  practical  power  over  the  hearts  and 
lives  of  men.  As  this  was  done  to  a  greater  extent 
under  the  gospel,  it  was,  on  that  account,  in  view  of 
the  apostle,  a  more  glorious  dispensation. 

There  was  another  reason  why  the  gospel  dispen- 
sation, of  which  Paul  speaks,  is  more  glorious  than 
that  in  which  the  Jews  trusted,  viz.,  that  the  latter  was 
temporary.  Like  the  shining  of  the  face  of  Moses, 
it  was  to  pass  away.  The  other  would  be  permanent, 
and  go  down  to  the  end  of  the  world.  In  the  lan- 
guage of  the  apostle,  "  If  that  which  is  done  away 
was  glorious,  much  more  that  which  remaineth  is 
glorious."  This  dispensation  is  lasting,  and  the  beau- 
ty with  which  it  clothes  the  soul  will  endure  and 
shine  with  increasing  lustre  forever. 

There  was  still  another  reason.  The  Jewish  dis- 
pensation, while  it  enforced  by  ceremonies  the  obli- 
gations of  the  law,  shadowed  forth  but  faintly  the 
way  of  deliverance  from  its  curse,  through  faith  in  the 
Redeemer.  And  this  it  did  to  the  Jews  alone  ;  while 
the  gospel  proclaims  clearly  to  all  people  Jesus  Christ 
and  him  crucified,  "  tasting  death  for  every  man  ; " 
and  urges  all,  with  new  motives,  to  believe  on  and 
obey  him ;  declaring  that  there  is  now  no  condemna- 
tion to  them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus  ;  and  that  the 
law  of  the  spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  frees  them 
from  the  law  of  sin  and  death.  At  all  points  was  the 
gospel  superior  to  the  Jewish  dispensation.  Under 
its  ministrations  much  greater  numbers  were  led  to  be- 
lieve on  Christ  as  the  Lord  their  righteousness,  and 
were  justified  from  all  those  things  from  which  they 
could  not  be  justified  by  the  law  of  Moses. 


29 

To  set  forth  this  great  superiority  of  the  Christian 
or  New  Testament,  over  the  Jewish  or  Old  Testa- 
ment dispensation,  was  the  great  object  of  the  apostle 
in  this  chapter.  In  prosecution  of  this  object,  he 
says,  "  Our  sufficiency  is  of  God,  who  has  made  us 
able  ministers  of  the  New  Testament,''^  or  the  gospel 
dispensation ;  "  not  of  the  letter,  but  of  the  spirit." 
They  did  not  merely  utter  the  words,  but  were  instru- 
mental in  producing  great  effects.  They  spoke  in 
demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  and  with  power.  Their 
words  were  attended  with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down 
from  heaven,  and  were  received,  not  as  the  words  of 
men,  but  as  the  words  of  God  ;  which,  by  being  be- 
lieved and  obeyed,  became  spirit  and  life  to  their 
souls.  "For  the  letter,"  he  says,  " killeth,  but  the 
spirit  giveth  life." 

The  letter  merely,  even  of  the  gospel,  as  well  as 
the  law,  without  the  Spirit,  would  be  a  savor  of  death 
unto  death,  by  being  neglected  or  abused ;  while, 
with  the  Spirit,  it  would  be  embraced,  and  thus  be  a 
savor  of  life  unto  life.  Therefore  he  says,  '^  If  the 
ministration  of  death,  written  and  engraven  in  stones, 
was  glorious,  so  that  the  children  of  Israel  could  not 
steadfastly  behold  the  face  of  Moses,  for  the  glory  of 
his  countenance  ;  which  glory,"  of  his  countenance, 
•^  was  to  be  done  away  ;  how  shall  not  the  ministra- 
tion of  the  Spirit,"  that  is,  the  gospel  dispensation, 
"  be  rather  glorious  ?  If  the  ministration  of  condem- 
nation," the  Old  Testament  dispensation,  "  be  glory, 
much  more  doth  the  ministration  of  righteousness," 
the  New  Testament  dispensation,  ''  exceed  in  glory." 

"  For  even  that,"  the  introduction  of  the  Jewish 
dispensation,  "  which  was  made  glorious,  had  no 
glory  in  this  respect,"  that  is,  comparatively,  "by 
reason  of  the  glory  which  excelleth  ;  "  that  is,  the 
superior  glory  of  the  gospel,  by  which,  according  to 
his  promise,  the  law  of  God  was  written,  not  with 


m 

his  finger  on  tables  of  stone,  but  by  his  Spirit  on 
the  hearts  of  men.  ''  For  if  that  which  is  done 
away,"  the  Jewish  dispensation,  "  was  glorious,  much 
more  that  which  remaineth,"  the  gospel  dispensa- 
tion, which  writes  the  law  upon  the  hearts  of  men, 
''is  glorious."  Of  course,  the  ministers  of  this  gos- 
pel, as  he  contended,  ought  to  be  received  as  the 
messengers  of  God,  and  their  messages  to  be  regarded 
as  those  by  which  he  sanctifies  and  saves  the  soul. 

Such  is  the  object,  and  such  are  the  reasonings  and 
conclusion,  of  the  apostle  in  this  chapter.  But  not 
a  word  is  said  here,  or  elsewhere,  and  not  a  hint  is 
given,  that  the  obligation  to  keep  the  moral  law  is 
abolished.  The  superior  glory  of  the  gospel  is  rep- 
resented as  consisting  in  the  fact,  that,  under  it,  the 
Holy  Ghost  inclined  men  to  obey  that  law,  through 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the  end  of  the  law  for 
righteousness  to  every  one  that  believeth  ;  and  de- 
livers them  from  its  condemning  power. 

The  Jewish  dispensation  was  one  thing.  The 
moral  law,  which  was  in  being  and  obligatory  before 
that  dispensation  began,  is  quite  another  thing.  As 
the  law  was  in  being  and  obligatory  before  the  intro- 
duction of  the  Jewish  dispensation,  so  it  is  in  being 
and  obligatory  after  that  dispensation  is  abolished.  It 
was  incorporated  for  a  time  with  that  dispensation, 
and  formed  a  part  of  it,  as  it  must  of  every  divine 
dispensation.  But  it  was  not  dependent  on  it  for  its 
beginning,  or  its  end.  Though  only  the  moral  law 
was  written  on  stones,  yet  it  formed  so  important  a 
part  of  the  Jewish  dispensation  that  the  dispensation 
itself  is  characterized  as  the  one  ''written  and  en- 
graven on  stones,"  in  distinction  from  the  one  written 
and  engraven  on  hearts.  And  it  was  the  dispensation 
so  characterized  that  the  apostle  speaks  of  as  being 
done  away,  and  not  the  moral  law,  which  for  a  time 
formed   a   part  of  it.     This  law   remains ;   and,  till 


31 

heaven  and  earth  pass  away,  will  remain,  as  an  ex- 
pression of  the  revealed  will  of  God,  and  the  perma- 
nent obligations  of  men. 

Whosoever  committeth  sin  transgresseth  this  law, 
or  something  which  is  implied  in  it.  By  that  law  is 
the  knowledge  of  sin,  and  through  its  influence  the 
Holy  Ghost,  under  the  gospel,  convinces  men,  that 
by  the  deeds  of  it  no  man  can  be  justified,  because  all 
men  have  broken  it ;  and  thus  he  leads  them,  while 
they  regard  it  as  a  rule  of  duty,  to  look  away  from  it 
as  a  ground  of  justification,  to  the  Lamb  of  God, 
who  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world. 

While  the  blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats,  and  the 
ashes  of  a  heifer,  and  divers  washings,  under  the 
Old  Testament,  typified  the  necessity  of  an  atone- 
ment and  of  spiritual  cleansing,  and  answered  to  the 
purifying  of  the  flesh,  the  blood  of  Jesus,  who 
through  the  eternal  Spirit  offered  himself  without 
spot  unto  God,  made  a  real  atonement,  and  answers  to 
the  purifying  of  the  conscience  from  dead  works  to 
serve  the  living  God ;  not,  as  of  old,  in  outward  rites 
and  ceremonies,  but  in  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffer- 
ing, gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temper- 
ance. Thus  the  righteousness  of  the  law,  under  the 
gospel,  is  fulfilled  in  them  who  walk  not  after  the 
flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit,  and  who,  with  open  face 
beholding  as  in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are, 
through  faith  in  Christ,  changed  into  his  image  from 
glory  to  glory,  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord. 

Such,  according  to  Paul,  is  "the  glory  that  ex- 
celleth ;  "  the  glory  as  of  the  only-begotten  of  the 
Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth ;  manifested  not  in 
types  and  shadows,  but  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself, 
whom  Paul  preached,  warning  every  man,  and  teach- 
ing every  man  in  all  wisdom,  that  he  might  present 
every  man  perfect  in  Christ  Jesus.  This  perfection j 
as  to  character,  would  consist  in  obedience  to  the  moral 
law  J  which  was  the  pattern  after  which  the  character 
3* 


32 

of  Jesus  was  formed ;  and  in  proportion  to  their  like- 
ness to  hitn  they  would  he  perfect,  as  their  Father  in 
heaven  is  perfect. 

And  though  the  connection  of  this  law  with  the 
Old  Testament  dispensation  is  done  away,  because 
that  dispensation  is  abolished,  it  is  in  full  force  as  a 
rule  of  duty.  Men  are  under  as  much  obligation  as 
ever  to  have  no  other  gods  before  Jehovah,  not  to  bow 
down  to  graven  images,  or  take  the  name  of  the  Lord 
their  God  in  vain,  or  dishonor  their  parents,  or  commit 
murder,  adultery,  or  theft,  or  bear  false  witness,  or 
covet.  And  they  are  under  as  much  greater  obliga- 
tion than  they  were  under  the  Old  Testament,  as  they 
have  greater  light. 

So  they  are  under  as  much  greater  obligation  to 
remember  the  Sabbath  day,  and  to  keep  it  holy  ;  in 
it  not  to  do  any  work,  they,  nor  their  children,  nor 
servants,  nor  cattle,  nor  any  under  their  control. 

And  here  let  it  not  be  forgotten,  that  it  is  as  real  a 
violation  of  the  Sabbath  to  employ  others  in  worldly 
business  on  that  day,  as  it  is  to  perform  such  business 
ourselves.  The  man  who  is  found  regularly  on  the 
Sabbath  in  the  house  of  God,  but  has  men  employed 
in  his  manufactory,  on  the  railroad,  his  canal-boat, 
steamboat,  or  packet,  which  leaves  the  wharf  on  the 
Sabbath,  on  the  farm,  in  the  shop,  or  in  any  place  en- 
gaged in  secular  business,  is  himself  a  Sabbath-break- 
er as  really  as  if  he  performed  that  business  with  his 
own  hands.  Here  the  law  maxim  applies — "  Qm 
facit  per  alium,  facit  per  se."  ''  What  a  man  does  by 
another,  he  does  himself."  It  is  his  act  in  law,  and 
he  is  responsible.  This  applies  to  the  Sabbath  law  ; 
and  it  condemns  all  who  employ  other  men  in  worldly 
business  on  that  day,  as  really  as  if  they  performed 
that  business  themselves. 

But  it  is  said,  A  man  is  sometimes  "  peculiarly  sit- 
uated." and  he  must  labor  on  the  Sabbath.    The  labor 


in  question  is  not  indeed  required  for  the  relief  of 
sickness  or  distress,  nor  by  the  appropriate  duties  of 
the  Sabbath,  yet  it  is  ''necessary."  What  kind  of 
necessity  is  it  —  a  vohmtary,  self-imposed  necessity  ? 
If  so,  it  is  a  wicked  necessity^  and  compliance  with  it 
is  a  wicked  act. 

For  instance,  a  man  is  the  owner  of  certain  mills. 
He  expresses  to  his  agent  the  expectation  that  he  will 
continue  to  run  these  mills  on  the  Sabbath,  as  on 
other  days.  The  agent  objects.  He  says  he  has  not 
been  accustomed  to  work  on  the  Sabbath,  and  refuses 
to  do  it.  The  owner  acknowledges  that  it  is  not  a 
good  thing  to  work  on  the  Sabbath,  but  says  he  is  ^^pe- 
culiarly situated.^''  What  is  the  peculiarity?  He  has 
been  accustomed,  in  violation  of  the  laws  of  God  and 
man,  to  run  his  mills  seven  days  in  a  week.  He  knows 
how  much  flour  they  can  in  that  way  make  in  a  year. 
He  has  been  to  the  city ;  and,  for  the  sake  of  gain, 
has  engaged  to  furnish  to  certain  merchants,  in  the 
course  of  the  year,  as  much  flour  as  his  mills  have 
ever  made.  Of  course,  to  fulfil  his  engagements,  and 
maintain  his  credit,  he  must  keep  his  mills  running  on 
the  Sabbath.  "  There  is  a  necessity  for  it."  But  it  is 
a  voluntary,  self-imposed  necessity,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  money  ;  shoiuing  that  the  inan  regards  money 
more  tha^i  God^  and  thus  has  another  god  before  Je- 
hovah^ viz.,  Tnoney.  He  violates  the  first,  as  well  as  the 
fourth  commandment,  though  he  should  himself  every 
Sabbath  be  in  the  house  of  God. 

He  is  also  foolish,  as  well  as  wicked  :  because  the 
same  number  of  men  who  work  but  six  days  in  a 
week,  will  ordinarily,  in  the  course  of  the  year,  do 
more  work,  and  do  it  better,  than  the  men  who  work 
seven. 

That  experiment  was  tried  in  a  flouring  establish- 
ment, and  the  difference  in  the  amount  of  flour  man- 
ufactured in  one  year,  with  the  same  hands,  was  sixty 


34 

thousand  bushels.  But  suppose  men  could  not  do  as 
much  by  working  only  six  days  in  a  week  as  they 
could  by  working  seven,  and  suppose  that  a  man  can- 
not fulfil  his  engagement  without  working  on  the 
Sabbath,  what  must  he  do  ?  Must  he  break  his  en- 
gagement, or  work  on  the  Sabbath  ?  Break  the  en- 
gagement. His  engagement  to  work  on  the  Sabbath 
is  a  wicked  engageinent ;  and  a  wicked  engagement  is 
not  valid,  and  must  not  be  fulfilled.  No  man  can  bring 
himself  under  moral  obligation  to  do  a  wicked  thing. 
Nor  can  he  do  it  and  be  innocent.  He  must  repent  of 
his  wickedness  in  having  made  such  an  engagement, 
and,  by  reformation,  bring  forth  fruits  meet  for  repent- 
ance. 

Several  companies  build  a  number  of  manufac- 
tories. They  are  all  dependent  upon  the  same  canal 
for  water.  They  construct  them  in  such  a  manner, 
that,  if  the  water  is  drawn  off  from  one,  it  must  be 
drawn  off  from  all,  and  they  must  all  stop.  Some  of 
the  machinery  in  each  mill,  or  some  part  of  the  work, 
when  it  gives  way,  cannot  be  repaired  unless  the 
water  is  drawn  off ;  and,  of  course,  can  be  done  only 
when  all  the  mills  are  stopped. 

But  they  are  not  ordinarily  stopped,  unless  at  night, 
or  for  very  short  periods,  except  on  the  Sabbath. 
What  shall  be  done  ?  May  not  a  company,  or  its 
agents,  in  such  a  case,  have  the  machinery  repaired, 
or  work  done,  on  the  Sabbath  ?  No.  When  shall  it 
be  done  ?  Let  it  be  done  at  night,  after  the  mills  are 
stopped,  and  let  them  on  the  Sabbath  ''  not  do  any 
work."  But  they  do  not  stop  long  enough  at  night 
to  accomplish  it.  So  it  was  said  by  Sabbath-breakers 
in  a  number  of  mills  where  they  had  repaired  the 
machinery  on  the  Sabbath.  But  when  they  tried  it 
honestly,  and  in  earnest,  they  found  that  the  nights 
were  long  enough.  All  the  machinery  has  been  kept 
in  repair  for  years,  without  working  an  hour  on  the 


35 

Sabbath,  and  it  has  been  kept  in  better  order  than  be- 
fore. They  have  actually  had  to  stop  a  less  time  on 
account  of  breakages,  than  when  they  made  repairs 
on  the  Sabbath.  The  repairs,  in  the  course  of  the 
year,  have  cost  less  money.  The  workmen  are  more 
moral  and  trustworthy.  Neither  the  amount  of  labor, 
nor  the  profits  of  the  establishment,  are  diminished. 

"  But  suppose,  in  any  given  establishment,  the 
nights  are  not  long  enough  to  make  needful  repairs, 
what  shall  be  done  ?  May  not  the  agents  take  the 
Sabbath  ? "  No.  Let  them  take  one  of  the  six  work- 
ing days,  Saturday,  or  Monday,  or  any  other  day,  but 
not  the  Sabbath.  That  is  the  Lord's  day,  not  man's. 
Let  not  man  rob  his  Maker  for  the  purpose  of  accu- 
mulating wealth,  or  to  obtain  any  earthly  good. 

"  But  the  mill  cannot  stop  on  a  week  day."  That 
is  not  true.  It  can  stop  on  a  week  day  as  certainly 
as  it  can  stop  on  the  Sabbath.  When  the  Lord  cuts 
oif  the  supply  of  water,  it  does  stop  on  week  days. 
Should  he  send  a  pestilence,  and  scatter  the  work- 
men, it  would  stop.  Of  course,  the  running  on  every 
working  day  is  not  a  matter  of  necessity,  but  solely 
of  choice. 

"  That  would  be  the  case,"  says  the  owner,  "  if 
my  mill  and  water-privilege  were  independent.  But 
should  the  water  be  drawn  off  from  my  mill,  all  the 
other  mills  must  stop  ;  and,  as  I  do  not  own,  I  have 
no  right  to  stop  them."  And,  as  you  do  not  own 
the  Lord's  day,  you  have  no  right  to  take  that.  Has 
your  mill  been  so  constructed,  that  you  cannot  draw 
oflf  the  water  without  stopping  the  mills  of  your 
neighbors  ?  You  have  no  right  to  keep  your  property 
in  such  a  state  that  you  must  injure  your  neighbor, 
or  rob  God.  The  necessity  of  doing  either,  so  far  as 
it  exists,  is  a  self-imposed  necessity  —  a  wicked  neces- 
sity, which  God  requires  should  be  removed ;  which 
can  be  removed ;  and  which,  to  obey  God,  and  meet 
his  approbation,  must  he  removed. 


36 

Neither  individuals  nor  companies  are  under  any 
necessity  of  so  constructing,  and  they  have  no  right 
so  to  construct,  their  works  that  they  must  take  the 
Sabbath  for  repairs  or  injure  their  neighbors.  If  they 
have  made  such  a  mistake,  or  done  such  a  wrong 
deed,  they  are  bound  forthwith  to  correct  it.  But  is 
it  said,  "  That  cannot  now  be  done  "  ?  Their  busi- 
ness, then,  is  an  unlawful  business,  and  they  are  bound 
to  relinquish  it.  The  works  are  constructed  on  an 
unlawful  spot,  or  on  an  unlawful  plan,  and  ought  to 
he  abandoned ;  for,  to  make  money  by  robbing  God 
or  injuring  men  is  wicked. 

''  But  I  do  not  mean,"  says  the  owner,  '^  that  it 
cannot  be  done  :  all  that  I  mean  is,  that  it  would  cost 
too  much.  The  business  would  no  longer  be  profit- 
able." Then  it  ought,  in  that  place,  and  on  that 
plan,  to  be  relinquished.  The  individuals  or  com- 
panies who  expect  to  be  gainers  by  a  continued 
violation  of  the  known  command  of  God,  will,  in  the 
end,  find  themselves  wofully  mistaken. 

An  agent  was  about  to  make  repairs  on  the  Sab- 
bath. He  was  asked  why  he  made  them  on  that 
day.  He  replied  that  it  was  necessary.  He  was  then 
inquired  of  what  he  should  do,  if  he  knew  that, 
should  he  make  the  repairs  on  the  Sabbath,  he  would 
lose  ten  thousand  dollars.  He  said  he  should  make 
the  repairs  at  some  other  time.  The  necessity,  there- 
fore, was  only  a  moneyed  one  ;  a  known,  deliberate 
transgression  of  the  law  of  God,  for  the  sake  of  mak- 
ing money. 

What  is  the  necessity  that  manufactories  should 
run  from  morning  to  night,  six  days  in  a  week, 
throughout  the  year  ?  Why  can  they  not  stop,  after 
running  five  days,  or  five  days  and  a  half,  whenever 
it  is  needful  to  make  repairs  ?  They  can  stop  on 
Fast  days,  on  Thanksgiving  days,  on  Christmas  days, 
on  the  Fourth  of  July,  and  at  any  time  when  the 
owners  choose  to  have  them.     Why  can  they  not 


37 

stop  on  Saturday,  when  they  must  do  it  or  break  the 
Sabbath  ;  or  on  Monday ;  or,  if  needful,  on  both  ? 
Is  there  any  necessity  that  manufacturers  should 
make  any  more  money  than  they  can,  and  obey  God? 
None  at  all.  With  what  they  can  gain,  without  re- 
pairing machinery,  mending  bands,  cleaning  boilers, 
or  doing  any  work  on  the  Sabbath,  they  are  bound, 
by  their  high  obligation  to  God,  themselves,  and  their 
fellow-men,  to  be  content. 

Suppose  there  are  twenty  manufactories,  all  de- 
pendent for  water  on  one  canal.  They  are  so  con- 
structed that,  if  the  water  should  be  drawn  off  from 
one,  all  must  stop.  Should  it  be  announced  to  them 
by  the  Almighty,  that,  if  they  make  repairs  on  the 
Sabbath,  all  their  works  shall  be  destroyed,  and  the 
first-born  of  every  owner  be  found  the  next  morning 
dead,  is  there  an  individual  who  doubts  that,  with 
their  great  mechanical  skill,  and  their  immense 
wealth,  they  would  devise  and  execute  a  plan  by 
which  they  could  make  all  needful  repairs  during 
the  days  which  they  have  a  right  to  take  for  that 
purpose  ? 

If  they  could  not  do  it,  one  thing  is  certain  — 
should  they  believe  God,  and  act  as  wise  men,  they 
would  abandon  that  business,  and  go  into  some  other 
more  moral  and  safe,  by  which  they  could  get  a  liv- 
ing, and  not  destroy  their  children.  Men  have  no 
right  to  carry  on  any  business,  by  which  they  will 
destroy  even  the  temporal  life  of  any  of  their  chil- 
dren ;  much  less  have  they  any  right  to  incur  the 
wrath  of  the  Almighty. 

But  such  sacrifices  need  not  be  made.  All  the 
manufacturing  which  the  highest  good  of  individuals 
or  of  the  world  requires,  can  be  carried  on  without 
taking  any  portion  of  the  Sabbath. 

In  one  of  the  largest  establishments,  in  which  are 
employed  more  than  a  thousand  persons,  "  There  has 
not  been,"  said  the  agent,  "  an  hour's  work  done  on 


38 

the  Sabbath  for  more  than  three  years."  Previous 
to  that,  they  had  made  their  repairs  on  that  day. 
The  mechanics  said  it  was  necessary.  They  could 
not  get  along,  and  keep  the  works  in  order,  without 
doing  so.  The  agent  said  they  would  try.  They 
did  try  ;  they  succeeded  well,  and  have  found  it  in  all 
respects  the  better  course.  "Now,"  said  the  agent, 
'^  the  workmen  who  make  the  repairs  like  it  better. 
They  say  the  sticks  of  timber  somehow  come  to- 
gether better."  They  do  come  together  better,  and 
they  stay  better  after  they  are  together,  because  the 
men  who  never  work  on  the  Sabbath  can  put  them 
together  better.  Since  the  adoption  of  this  course, 
the  establishment  has  been  more  profitable  to  the 
stockholders  than  ever  before. 

"  But  in  our  establishment,"  says  one,  "  are  hun- 
dreds of  poor  people,  dependent  upon  their  daily 
labor  for  their  support.  Should  we  stop  during  the 
week  to  make  repairs,  they  would  be  thrown  out  of 
employment,  and  would  suffer.  Charity,  therefore, 
to  them,  requires  that  we  should  make  our  repairs  on 
the  Sabbath,  that  they  may  have  their  wages  during 
all  the  week."  But  they  can  stop  on  Thanksgiving, 
on  Christmas,  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  and  they  do 
not  have  to  work  on  the  Sabbath  to  make  up  lost 
time.  Why  can  they  not  as  well  stop  when  it  is 
needful  to  make  repairs  ?  They  can ;  and  if  they 
obey  God,  they  do  stop  every  Sabbath ;  and,  instead 
of  being  losers,  they  are  gainers  by  so  doing.  If  they 
can  stop  one  day  every  week,  and  yet  be  gainers,  why 
can  they  not  sometimes,  if  needful,  in  order  that 
others  may  have  the  rest  and  privileges  of  the  Sab- 
bath, stop  two  days  in  a  week  ?  If  they  do  not  re- 
ceive wages  enough  to  enable  them,  without  suffer- 
ing, to  do. this,  then  the  owners  ought  to  give  them 
more.  The  profits  of  the  establishment  ought  to  be 
somewhat  more  equally  divided. 

"  Yes,"  says  a  farmer,  "  this  working  in  the  man- 


39 

ufactories  on  the  Sabbath  is  wrong,  and  ought  to  be 
stopped.  But  what  shall  be  done  in  time  of  haying? 
The  weather  has  been  bad,  and  much  hay  is  out.  For 
a  number  of  days  it  has  been  rainy ;  the  Sabbath 
comes,  and  is  a  fair  day.  What  shall  be  done  ?  Shall 
the  farmers  rest,  as  on  other  Sabbaths,  attend  public 
worship,  and  let  the  hay  lie  ;  or  shall  they  go  into 
the  field,  take  care  of  the  hay,  and  secure  it  ?  "  Let 
thein  rest,  attend  public  worship,  and  perform  the  ap- 
propriate duties  of  the  Sabbath.  Let  them  be  con- 
tented with  what  hay  they  can  secure  in  six  days. 
''  Six  days  shalt  thou  labor,"  and  in  them,  saith  Jeho- 
vah, ''  do  all  thy  work."  "  Remember  the  Sabbath 
day,  and  keep  it  holy  ;  in  it  do  no  work."  God 
makes  no  exception  for  haying  time. 

''  But  it  may  rain  on  Monday,  and  the  hay  be  in- 
jured, perhaps  spoiled."  That  is  true.  It  is  also 
true,  that  a  man  may  be  sick  on  Monday,  and  he  may 
die.  If  he  does  not  work  on  the  Sabbath,  he  may 
not  be  able  to  work  at  all.  On  the  other  hand,  it 
may  not  rain  on  Monday,  and  the  man  may  be  alive 
and  well,  and  better  fitted  to  work  than  he  would  be 
should  he  labor  on  the  Sabbath.  Or,  if  it  should 
rain  on  Monday  and  Tuesday,  and  his  hay  be  injured, 
or  even  spoiled,  that  is  no  good  reason  why  he  should 
work  on  the  Sabbath.  God  did  not  say.  Thou  shalt 
not  do  any  work  except  in  haying  time,  or  unless  it 
is  likely  to  rain  on  Monday ;  and  men  have  no  right 
to  make  that  addition.  He  that  addeth  to  the  word 
of  God,  or  taketh  from  it,  will  fall  under  his  curse. 

Men  have  no  right  to  gain  any  more  property,  or 
secure  any  more,  in  their  ordinary  business,  than  they 
can  by  keeping  the  Sabbath  day  holy.  In  that  way 
they  can  get  all  that  they  need,  or  have  any  right  to 
possess. 

But  it  is  said,  ''  If  a  house  is  on  fire,  you  will  allow 
a  man  to  put  it  out.  If  visited  with  a  sudden  and 
unexpected   inundation,  which    threatens    to  sweep 

No.  4.  4 


40 

away  his  house,  you  will  allow  him,  if  he  can,  to 
secure  it,  though  his  family  might  flee  from  it,  and 
thus  not  lose  their  lives,  if  it  should  be  carried  away." 

These  are  sudden  providences,  against  which  no 
foresight  or  prudent  care  daring  the  week  can  guard. 
They  do  not  come  under  the  head  of  ordinary  busi- 
ness ;  and  what  is  done,  must  be  done  at  the  time 
when  the  provideiice  occurs,  or  not  at  all.  This  is 
known.  Very  diiferent  is  it  with  the  tending  or  the 
getting  in  of  hay.  That  is  a  part  of  a  man's  regular 
employment.  There  is  no  certainty  that,  if  he  does 
not  do  it  on  a  particular  Sabbath,  he  cannot  do  it  at 
all.  Facts  show  that  it  ordinarily  may  be  done  on 
other  days,  and  as  well  done  ;  nay,  that,  in  the  long 
run,  it  may  be  better  done,  and  often  more  may  be 
secured,  by  not  working,  than  by  working  on  the 
Sabbath.  It  is,  on  the  whole,  better,  for  this  world 
as  well  as  the  future,  ?iot  to  violate  this  day. 

A  number  of  men,  at  one  time,  had  mowed  a  large 
quantity  of  hay.  For  a  number  of  days  it  had  been 
rainy.  The  Sabbath  came,  and  was  a  remarkably 
pleasant  day.  One  man  staid  at  home,  opened  his 
hay,  took  care  of  it,  and  in  the  afternoon  got  it  into 
his  barn.  His  neighbors  did  nothing  of  the  kind,  but 
went  as  usual  with  their  families  to  the  house  of  God. 
On  their  return,  one  of  them  met  the  man  who  had 
been  getting  in  his  hay,  who  expressed  his  regret  that 
his  neighbors  should  be  so  superstitious  as  to  go  off, 
and  leave  their  hay  exposed  to  be  again  wet.  He 
said  that  he  had  been  more  wise,  and  had  secured  his. 
"Now,"  said  he,  "it  may  rain  again  on  Monday,  and 
you  not  be  able  to  get  in  yours."  That  was  true. 
His  neighbors  knew  it.  But  they  concluded  to  leave 
that  with  God.  One  thing  was  certain  —  that  it  would 
not  rain  without  good  reasons  for  it.  Another  thing 
was  equally  certain — that,  if  it  should  rain,  and  the 
hay  be  injured,  and  even  spoiled,  that  would  not  be 
so  great  an  evil  as  to  do  what  they  knew  to  be  wrong. 


41 

Monday  came,  and  it  rained.  It  rained  also  on  Tues- 
day and  on  Wednesday.  Thursday  was  remarkably 
pleasant.  All  who  had  hay  out,  went  busily  to  work. 
Friday  was  fair,  and  also  Saturday.  All  the  hay  that 
had  been  out  in  the  rain  was  thoroughly  dried  and 
housed.  The  Sabbath  came.  The  first  part  of  it 
was  pleasant.  In  the  afternoon  a  cloud  arose,  looked 
dark  and  scowling.  It  extended  and  moved  on  to- 
wards the  barn  into  which,  on  the  previous  Sabbath, 
the  man  had  put  his  hay,  and  where  he  thought  he 
had  ''  secured  it."  The  lightning  darted  here  and 
there,  and  by  and  by  went  down  into  the  barn.  "  I 
knew,"  said  a  man  who  was  near,  "  that  it  struck, 
from  the  feehng.  I  started  up,  and  ran  to  the  window, 
and  the  smoke  was  issuing  from  that  barn.  They 
rang  the  bells,  got  out  the  fire-engines,  and  did  all  in 
their  power,  but  they  could  not  stop  the  fire.  They 
saw  that  the  barn  must  go.  Nor  was  that  all ;  his 
neighbors'  barns  on  each  side  were  so  near  that  it 
seemed  impossible  to  prevent  them  from  being  burned. 
But  as  the  flames  burst  out,  and  the  sparks  began  to 
fly,  the  rain  poured  down  in  sheets,  which,  with  the 
engines,  kept  those  barns  so  perfectly  drenched  with 
water  that  neither  of  them  took  fire,  and  the  Sabbath- 
breaker's  barn  was  burnt  out  between  them."  '•  Six 
days  shalt  thou  labor,  and  do  all  thy  work."  That 
man  did  not  gain  any  thing  by  disobeying  God,  nor 
did  his  neighbors  lose  any  thing  by  obeying  him. 
There  is  that  gathereth  at  a  time  and  in  a  way  that 
is  not  meet,  and  it  tendeth  to  poverty.  Men  are  de- 
pendent upon  God,  and  in  the  keeping  of  his  com- 
mands there  is  great  reward.  Regard  to  his  will 
about  the  Sabbath,  as  well  as  other  things,  is  profit- 
able. 

"  But  it  may  be  harvest-time.  Grain  may  be 
scarce,  and  a  man  may  need  all  he  has  for  his  family. 
If  it  is  cut,  and  is  dry,  and  on  the   Sabbath  it  looks 


42 

likely  to  rain,  shall  he  not  get  it  in,  and  thus  preserve 
it  for  his  family  ?  "  What  saith  Jehovah  ?  ^^  In  ear- 
ing-time  and  in  harvest  thou  shalt  rest.^^  He  knew 
that  the  temptations  to  break  his  law  at  this  season  of 
the  year  would  be  strong  ;  and  that,  if  he  said  noth- 
ing in  particular  about  it,  men  might  make  this  ex- 
ception, and  think  that  the  case  was  so  peculiar  that 
they  might  do  that  part  of  their  work  on  the  Sabbath. 
He  therefore  set  the  matter  at  rest,  by  explicitly  say- 
ing, *'  In  earing-time  and  in  harvest,"  as  well  as  at 
other  times,  "  thou  shalt  rest."  Besides,  if  a  man 
works  on  the  Sabbath  to  secure  his  grain,  when  it  is 
going  to  rain,  it  is  by  no  means  certain  that  he  will 
succeed.  Jehovah  told  his  ancient  people  that,  if 
they  should  desecrate  the  Sabbath,  he  would  kindle  a 
fire  which  should  not  be  quenched.  He  can  at  any 
time  do  this.  Sometimes  he  does  do  it ;  and  not  un- 
frequently  in  connection  with  the  breaking  of  the 
Sabbath. 

A  young  man  in  a  thunder-storm,  after  a  vivid  flash 
of  lightning,  came  out  of  his  room,  and  said  to  his 
friends,  that  he  did  not  like  to  stay  alone  when  it  light- 
ened so,  and  that  he  never  had  since  his  father's  barn 
was  burned.  That  started  the  question  as  to  when  the 
barn  was  burned.     He  said  they  were  at  meeting  at 

.  on  the  Sabbath,  in  harvest-time,  and  the  father 

came  to  his  sons  at  noon,  and  said  they  must  go 
home  and  get  in  that  wheat,  which  was  in  fine  order, 
for  it  looked  likely  to  rain  ;  and  if  it  should,  and  the 
wheat  get  wet,  it  would  almost  spoil  it.  They  there- 
fore started  ofl",  went  home,  and  engaged  in  get- 
ting in  the  wheat.  They  worked  hard,  and  just  as 
the  last  load  reached  the  barn,  the  shower  came. 
"  There,"  said  the  old  man,  "  now  we  have  secured 
our  wheat,  without  having  it  wet.  Let  us  go  in  and 
get  something  to  drink."  They  went  in,  and  were 
hardly  seated  before  the  lightning,  which  had  been 
playing  about,  struck  the  barn,  which,  with  another 


43 

barn  adjoining,  both  full,  was  burned  to  ashes.  ''I 
have  never  liked  to  stay  alone,"  said  the  young 
man,  '-when  it  lightens  so,  since  that."  The  grain 
was  not  so  secure  as  the  father  thought ;  not  so  se- 
cure as  it  might  have  been  had  it  been  left  in  the 
field.  The  man  had  better  have  staid  at  church 
and  worshipped  God  according  to  his  command- 
ments, and  regarded  him  more  than  the  wheat.  He 
giveth  rain  from  heaven,  and  fruitful  seasons,  fill- 
ing our  hearts  with  food  and  gladness.  He  alone 
maketh  us,  our  friends,  and  our  property,  to  dwell  in 
safety.  The  best  way  is  to  trust  in  him,  follow  the 
path  of  duty,  anxious  for  nothing  ;  but  in  every  thing, 
by  prayer  and  supplication  with  thanksgiving,  m;jke 
known  our  requests  unto  God  ;  and  thus  he  will  sup- 
ply all  our  need  according  to  his  riches  in  glory  by 
Christ  Jesus.  Godliness  with  contentment  will  be 
found  to  be  great  gain.  If  men  will  not  take  this 
course,  but  will  trust  to  their  own  wisdom,  in  opposi- 
tion to  that  of  God,  he  can  thunder  marvellously  with 
his  voice,  can  shoot  forth  his  lightnings  and  discomfit 
them,  and  so  consume  their  treasures  that  nothing 
but  blackness  and  ashes  shall  mark  the  place  where 
they  stood.  Or  he  can  suffer  them,  as  he  sometimes 
does,  to  remain ;  their  owners  to  accumulate  rapidly 
by  transgression ;  and  then,  through  them,  illustrate 
his  truth  in  another  aspect,  viz.,  that,  "as  the  par- 
tridge sitteth  on  eggs,  and  hatcheth  them  not,  so  is 
he  that  getteth  riches,  but  not  hy  right ;  he  shall 
leave  them  in  the  midst  of  his  days,  and  in  the  end 
thereof  shall  be  a  fool." 

A  man  in  the  state  of  New  York  was  accustomed 
to  work  on  the  Sabbath,  and  was  eager  to  get  other 
men  to  work  for  him,  because  he  could  get  them 
cheaper  than  on  other  days.  He  boasted  of  his  free- 
dom from  those  restraints  with  which  other  men  were 
hampered.  He  was  such  an  annoyance  to  his  neigh- 
bors by  his  wickedness,  that  one,  who  wished  to  keep 
the  Sabbath,  said  to^him,  "I  should  think  you  would 


44 

be  afraid  that  you  would  be  struck  by  lightning." 
He  defied  the  lightning,  and  said  it  could  not  hurt 
him.  While  in  his  field  upon  the  Sabbath,  treading 
down  hay  upon  the  stack,  the  lightning  struck  him, 
and  he  was  a  corpse.  A  respectable  gentleman,  who 
gave  the  writer  this  account,  said,  ''  I  saw  the  funeral 
procession  of  that  man  as  they  were  carrying  him  to 
the  grave."  His  gains,  which  he  obtained  on  the 
Sabbath,  he  left  in  the  midst  of  his  days. 

But  it  is  not  always  so.  Sentence  against  such 
evil  works  is  often  not  executed  so  speedily.  God 
waits  with  much  long-suffering,  not  willing  that  even 
such  men  should  perish,  but  that  they  should  come  to 
repentance  ;  while  he  continues  to  make  his  sun  rise 
on  the  evil  and  on  the  good,  and  to  send  rain  on  the 
just  and  on  the  unjust.  Yet  ungodliness,  even  in 
such  cases,  on  the  whole,  is  not  profitable.  Dishon- 
esty towards  God,  in  robbing  him  of  his  day,  as  really 
as  dishonesty  towards  men,  is  had  policy.  It  pro- 
duces a  bad  effect  on  the  man's  own  mind,  on  his 
children,  and  on  his  neighbors.  It  is  dishonorable  to 
God,  and  injurious  to  the  world.  Where  it  is  con- 
tinued, it  never  ends  well,  and  often  it  meets  with 
premature  death.  Yet,  if  it  were  not  so,  and  men 
could,  on  the  whole,  make  more  money,  and  obtain 
other  earthly  enjoyments  to  a  greater  extent,  by 
working  on  the  Sabbath,  than  by  keeping  it  holy, 
still,  it  would  be  unwise  and  wicked,  because  it  is  a 
known  violation  of  the  express  command  of  God, 

"Yes,"  says  one,  "it  is  evidently  wrong  to  work 
in  a  manufactory,  or  go  out  into  the  field  and  labor 
on  the  Sabbath,  even  in  haying-time,  or  in  harvest ; 
and  the  men  who  do  not  do  it,  on  the  whole,  save  as 
much,  and  get  along  quite  as  well,  as  the  men  that 
do.  Generally,  they  prosper  better."  Facts,  the 
voice  of  God  in  providence,  say  the  same. 

At  one  time,  in  a  certain  part  of  the  country,  there 
was  much  grain  down.     The  weather,  for  a  number 


45 

of  days,  had  been  stormy.  The  Sabbath  was  fair. 
A  part  of  the  farmers  went  into  the  field,  opened  their 
grain,  and  before  night  put  it  into  the  barn.  The 
others  spent  the  Sabbath  as  usual,  in  the  discharge 
of  its  appropriate  duties,  leaving  their  grain  in  the 
field.  On  Monday  the  day  was  fair,  and  also  on 
Tuesday.  The  grain  was  thoroughly  dried,  and  put 
into  the  barn  in  good  order.  The  others,  who, 
through  impatience  and  want  of  trust  in  God,  had 
housed  their  grain  on  the  Sabbath,  when  it  was  only 
partially  dried,  found  that  it  began  to  heat  and  to 
mould.  They  were  obliged  to  take  it  out  again  and 
dry  it  more,  and  were  thus  put  to  great  labor  and 
trouble,  from  which  their  Sabbath-keeping  neighbors 
were  saved ;  nor,  after  all,  did  they  keep  their  grain 
from  injury. 

In  another  neighborhood,  a  number  of  farmers  got 
in  their  grain  on  the  Sabbath,  in  good  order.  It  did 
not  mould,  and  their  barns  were  not  burned.  No 
judgment  came  upon  them,  and  they  enjoyed  the 
fruit  of  their  labors.  They  sowed  their  grain  for 
the  next  year ;  it  came  up,  flourished  well,  and  prom- 
ised an  abundant  harvest.  But,  just  before  it  was 
reaped,  a  violent  hail-storm  passed  over  that  part  of 
the  town,  and  destroyed  the  crops,  confining  itself 
principally  to  those  farms  from  which  the  grain  was 
gathered  on  the  Sabbath,  the  year  before. 

"  But,"  says  one,  "  it  happened  so."  It  did  happen 
so.  But  no  such  thing  happens  without  reasons,  or 
without  good  reasons.  ''  Are  not  two  sparrows  sold 
for  a  farthing  ?  and  one  of  them  shall  not  fall  without 
your  Father."  Nor  shall  a  storm  of  hail.  "Fire 
and  hail,  snow  and  vapor,"  stormy  winds  and  tem- 
pests, "fulfil  his  word."  Men  are  dependent  on  God 
for  the  things  of  this  life.  It  is  on  this  ground  that  he 
has  commanded  them  to  pray  daily,  "  Give  us  day  by 
day  our  daily  bread."  He  openeth  his  hand,  and 
they  are    filled   with    good.     What  he  giveth,  they 


46 

gather.  He  hideth  his  face,  and  they  are  troubled. 
He  taketh  away  their  breath,  they  die,  and  return  to 
dust. 

Their  interest  therefore,  their  safety,  their  all,  re- 
quire that  they  should  obey  his  commands.  In  doing 
so,  he  has  promised  all  needed  good.  With  what 
they  can  gain  and  secure  by  doing  his  will,  they  are 
bound  to  be  content.  What  they  cannot  so  obtain 
and  secure,  they  should  choose  to  be  without ;  saying, 
in  this,  as  well  as  other  things,  "  Not  my  will,  but 
thine,  be  done." 

But  suppose  a  man  is  a  merchant  or  a  banker. 
He  has  so  much  business  that  he  cannot  finish  it  in 
the  week  time  ;  may  he  not  post  his  books,  write  a 
few  letters,  and  finish  up  his  business  on  the  Sabbath  ; 
especially  if  he  can  do  it  out  of  sight,  before  the 
morning  service,  during  the  intermission,  or  after  the 
close  of  public  worship  ?  No.  He  cannot  do  it 
without  disobeying  God.  He  who  made  the  eye 
will  see  and  condemn  him.  A  man  has  no  right  to 
have  any  more  business  than  he  can  do  in  the  six 
working  days.  Or,  if  he  has  more,  he  has  no  right 
to  attempt  to  do  any  more.  What  he  cannot  close  up 
before  the  Sabbath  begins,  he  must,  if  he  would  obey 
God,  postpone  till  after  it  is  ended.  Nor  is  it  to  be 
forgotten  that  the  Sabbath  begins  as  early,  and  is  as 
long,  as  any  other  day  of  the  week.  On  the  six 
working  days  men  are  to  do  all,  and  on  this  none,  of 
their  work,  but  to  employ  the  whole  in  preparation 
for  the  performance  of  God's  work,  in  distinction 
from  man's  ;  or,  in  the  language  of  God,  to  keep  the 
day  holy.  By  its  constant  recurrence  every  week,  he 
gives  men  opportunity  to  see  and  to  show  which  they 
most  regard,  God,  or  the  world  ;  their  own  will,  or 
his.  Writing  letters,  posting  books,  looking  over  ac- 
counts, reading  secular  newspapers,  and  examining 
prices  current,  shipping  news,  the  state  of  stocks  and 


47 

markets,  even  alone  in  one's  office,  counting-room,  or 
chamber,  is  as  real  a  breach  of  the  Sabbath,  and  as 
decisive  evidence  of  supreme  devotion  to  this  world, 
as  if  it  were  done  in  the  sight  of  men  ;  and  it  may 
be  as  ruinous. 

"  Could  it  be  known  what  was  done  in  that  bank 
on  the  Sabbath,"  said  a  man,  after  the  bank  had  failed 
and  the  stockholders  lost  their  money,  "  you  might 
see  a  reason  why  the  bank  has  failed."  Said  an  old 
man  to  his  neighbor,  concerning  another  bank,  "  If 
you  have  any  stock  there,  I  advise  you  to  take  care 
of  it.  The  officers  go  down  to  the  bank  on  the  Sab- 
bath." Not  long  after  that,  sudden  as  a  clap  of  thun- 
der, the  news  broke  upon  the  stockholders,  that  the 
bank  was  ruined,  and  the  property  lost ;  and  it  has 
not  since  been  found. 

'^  But  the  times  are  precarious  ;  the  markets  are 
subject  to  sudden  changes  ;  a  man  hears,  late  on  Sat- 
urday night,  that  there  has  been,  in  a  distant  city,  a 
great  change  ;  that  his  property  there  is  in  jeopardy. 
His  agent  inquires  what  he  shall  do.  May  not  the 
man  go  there  if  he  can  ;  or,  if  not,  may  he  not  write 
a  letter,  and  send  it  to  his  agent  on  the  Sabbath  ?  " 
Not  if  he  would  obey  God ;  and  if  he  does  send,  it 
may  not  benefit  him.  A  distinguished  merchant  was 
called  on  to  decide  this  question  with  regard  to  him- 
self At  first  he  was  in  doubt.  His  practice  through 
life  had  been  to  do  no  such  things  on  the  Sabbath. 
He  would  not  take  a  letter  to,  or  receive  a  letter  from 
the  post-office.  But  this  was  a  special  case.  A  great 
amount  of  property  was  at  stake,  and  it  might  be  de- 
cided before  a  letter  could  arrive,  should  he  wait  till 
Monday.  He  had  a  letter  prepared,  and  started  with 
it  himself,  on  Sabbath  morning,  for  the  post-office,  so 
as  to  be  sure  it  would  go,  and  also  to  avoid  employing 
others  to  do  that  on  the  Sabbath  which  he  had  taught 
them  was  wrong.  But  on  his  way  this  thought  oc- 
curred to  him:  "  This  is  a  new  thing  for  me  to  be 


48 

going  to  the  post-office  on  the  Sabbath.  But,"  he 
reasoned,  ''  it  is  a  special  case ;  a  large  amount  is  at 
stake  ;  if  I  wait  till  Monday,  it  will  be  too  late."  He 
passed  on.  But  the  thought  occurred  again  :  "  This  is 
a  violation  of  what  you  have  always  considered  and 
taught  to  be  right.  Would  it  not  be  better,  more 
consistent,  more  useful,  to  hold  on  in  what  you  have 
always  thought  to  be  the  right  way,  and  trust  the 
property  with  God  ?  You  cannot  secure  it  without 
his  blessing."  He  stopped  and  hesitated  ;  turned 
round,  and  looked  this  Avay  and  that,  and  began  to 
tear  up  the  letter,  which  he  scattered  to  the  winds. 
He  went  back,  and  kept  the  Sabbath.  Soon  after, 
he  received  another  communication  from  his  agent, 
saying  that  there  had  been  another  change  for  the 
better,  and  that  all  things  were  going  well.  From 
that  communication  he  learned,  that,  had  his  letter 
gone  on  the  Sabbath,  and  the  agent  followed  his  di- 
rections, he  would  have  lost  a  large  amount,  w*hich 
was  now  saved. 

But  had  it  turned  out  otherwise,  and  the  property 
been  lost,  which,  by  sending  his  letter  on  the  Sabbath, 
he  might  have  saved,  that  would  not  prove  that  he 
ought  to  have  sent  it,  or  that  he  did  wrong  in  not 
sending  it.  It  might  have  been  the  will  of  God  that 
he  should  lose  his  property,  and  that  he  should  be 
contented  without  it.  Some  men  have  inore  property 
than  is  com,patible  with  preparation  for  heaven.  God 
sees  that  they  will  not  use  it  for  good  purposes,  and 
that  their  keeping  it  will  injure  them  and  others.  In 
kindness  he  takes  it  away,  or  so  orders  events,  in  his 
providence,  that  they  lose  it.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
fact  that  this  man  saved  his  property  by  not  sending 
his  letter  does  not,  of  itself,  prove  that  Avhat  he  did 
was  right.  But  it  illustrates  this  truth,  that  men,  with 
regard  to  property,  are  dependent  upon  God.  It  is 
safe,  as  well  as  right,  to  trust  him,  and  in  obeying  his 
commands,  to  leave  all  cheerfully  to  his  disposal.    He 


49 

will  then  give  men  as  much  property  as  it  is  best  that 
they  should  have.  With  that,  every  man  is  bound  to 
be  content,  and  every  wise  man  will  be.  He  knows 
that  a  man's  life  consisteth  not  in  the  abundance  of 
the  things  which  he  possesseth  ;  and  his  first  inquiry 
is,  not,  How  can  I  make  or  save  most  money  ?  but, 
What  is  the  will  of  God?  That  being  ascertained, 
his  course  is  fixed.  With  regard  to  the  Sabbath,  the 
will  of  God  is,  '•  In  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work ;  " 
"  not  doing  thine  own  ways,  nor  finding  thine  own 
pleasures,  nor  speaking  thine  own  words."  Men  are 
not  to  occupy  their  minds  about  property,  stocks, 
markets,  and  worldly  pursuits  ;  nor  will  they  find  it 
profitable,  on  the  whole,  even  for  this  world,  to  do  so. 

''  O,"  said  a  merchant,  "  you  cannot  make  men 
thus  keep  the  Sabbath.  You  may  get  them  to  stop 
their  work,  keep  their  hands  and  feet  still,  hut  their 
minds  will  be  employed  about  their  business.  I  know 
they  will,  for  I  have  tried  it."  He  had  tried  it,  and 
that  was  his  folly.  While  abstaining  with  his  hands, 
he  had  kept  his  mind  on  the  making  and  saving  of 
money.  His  great  estate  has  vanished,  and  he  is  now 
a  poor  man.  He  had  better  have  let  his  mind,  as 
well  as  his  body,  rest  on  the  Sabbath. 

"  I  once,"  said  a  merchant,  '^  made  out  an  invoice 
of  goods  on  the  Sabbath,  to  send  out  on  Monday  by 
the  steamer,  and  with  as  fair  a  prospect,  I  thought,  of 
making  money  as  I  ever  had  in  my  life.  Upon  those 
goods  I  lost  ten  thousand  dollars.  I  have  been  pretty 
careful  since  how  I  take  the  Sabbath  for  business." 
The  man  who  acts  wisely,  as  well  as  the  man  who 
acts  piously,  will  be  careful  not  to  occupy  his  mind 
on  the  Sabbath  about  worldly  concerns. 

"  When  at  church,"  said  a  man,  "  while  others  are 
thinking  about  religion,  I  am  thinking  about  making 
money.  That  is  my  business,  as  much  as  it  is  the 
business  of  the  minister  to  preach.  His  business  is  to 
preach ;  and  mine,  to  make  money  and  support  him, 


50 

and  aid  in  benevolent  objects."  For  a  time,  he  made 
money,  and  became  possessor  of  a  great  estate.  But 
it  took  wings,  and  flew  away,  as  an  eagle  towards 
heaven.  His  character  went  with  it,  and  vast 
amounts  of  property,  which  he  had  in  his  hands  be- 
longing to  others.  It  is  not  safe  to  trust  with  money 
a  man  who  takes  the  Sabbath  for  worldly  business. 

"  But  a  man  may  be  in  failing  circumstances.  His 
creditors  may  not  know  of  it  till  Saturday  night.  If 
each  one- does  not  take  measures  to  secure  himself, 
others  may  anticipate  him,  the  whole  property  be 
taken,  and  he  may  lose  his  debt.  He  may  be  a  poor 
man,  and  need  this  amount  for  his  family ;  or  he  may 
be  in  debt  himself,  and,  if  this  is  lost,  not  be  able  to 
pay.  Unless  he  secure  his  debt,  he  may  injure  his 
creditors.  What  shall  he  do  ?  May  he  not  take 
measures,  on  the  Sabbath,  to  secure  his  debt  ? " 
That  would  not  be  ^^  remembering  it,"  in  the  sense 
of  the  Bible,  nor  would  it  be  keeping  it  holy.  Nor  is 
it  certain  that  in  so  doing  he  would  promote  his  own 
interest. 

A  number  of  men  were  thus  situated.  Several  of 
them  employed  the  Sabbath  in  efforts  to  get  what 
they  could  out  of  a  failing  concern.  One,  after  ma- 
ture consideration  on  Saturday  night,  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  he  would  do  nothing  on  the  Sabbath, 
but  rest  contented  with  what  he  could  obtain  on 
Monday.  The  result  was,  that  he  secured  the  whole 
of  his  debt,  and  the  other  creditors  only  a  part  of 
theirs.  The  race  is  not  always  to  the  swift,  nor  the 
battle  to  the  strong.  Truth,  duty,  and  right,  are  bet- 
ter safeguards,  under  the  government  of  God,  than 
human  wisdom  and  power  can  be,  in  opposition  to 
him.  In  doing  right,  men  may  not  obtain  the  great- 
est possible  amount  of  earthly  treasures,  but  they  will 
secure  the  greatest  desirable  amount  of  what  will  pro- 
mote their  highest  good.     What  man,  not  an  enemy 


5i 

to   himself    and   his   Maker,    would   knowingly    do 
wrong  to  obtain  more  ? 

"Here  is  a  lawyer,  who  has  engaged  to  defend  his 
client.  He  is  under  oath  to  give  him  the  best  de- 
fence in  his  power.  The  case  is  to  be  tried  on  Mon- 
day. May  he  not  take  the  Sabbath  for  preparation  ?  '^ 
Not  unless  he  is  disposed  knowingly  to  disobey  God  ; 
and  facts,  in  great  numbers,  would  seem  to  add,  not 
unless  he  would  increase  the  prospect  of  failing  to  ac- 
complish his  end. 

A  lawyer  of  distinguished  talents,  on  his  death-bed, 
said  to  his  friend,  "  Charge  every  young  lawyer  not 
to  do  any  thing  in  the  business  of  his  profession  on 
the  Sabbath.  It  will  injure  him,  and  lessen  the 
prospect  of  his  success.  I  have  tried  it.  I  do  not 
know  why  it  is,  but  there  is  something  about  it  very 
striking.  My  Sabbath  efforts  have  almost  always 
failed.  I  found,  unexpectedly,  that  my  clients  had 
deceived  me,  and  that  the  evidence  was- very  different 
from  what  I  had  expected ;  some  of  my  witnesses 
would  be  absent ;  my  own  efforts  would  fail ;  the 
judge  would  go  against  me,  or  the  jury  could  not 
agree.  Something  would  always  occur  which  would 
make  the  result  most  unsatislfactory.  Tell  all  the 
young  lawyers  that,  if  they  would  succeed,  they  must 
not  take  the  Sabbath  for  business.  It  is  the  way  to 
faiV  No  sound  lawyer  of  upright  mind,  who  has 
tried  both  methods  for  a  course  of  years,  has,  it  is 
believed,  come  to  a  different  conclusion.  But, 
whether  it  is  so  or  not,  no  enlightened  man,  on  his 
death-bed,  has  ever  rejoiced  that  he  took  so  much,  or 
regretted  that  he  took  so  little,  of  the  Sabbath  for 
secular  business. 

There  is  one  consideration  which  sets  this  matter 
forever  at  rest.  The  day  belongs  to  God,  iri  an  espe- 
cial and  peculiar  sense,  and,  not  to  man.  It  is  "  The 
Lord's  Day,"  to  be  devoted  to  his  business,  in  distinc- 
tion from  theirs.    In  his  language,  they  are  to  do  ''  all 

No.  4.  5 


52 

their  work  "  in  the  six  working  days.  "  Six  days 
shalt  thou  labor,  and  do  all  thy  woi^k.^''  This  settles 
the  question  about  doing  a  part  of  their  work  on  the 
Sabbath,  even  when  pressed  with  business.  The 
lawyer's  oath  binds  him  to  render  only  such  services 
to  his  client  as  he  can  consistently  with  obeying 
God  And  this  is  all  that  any  man's  duty  binds  him 
or  permits  him  to  attempt. 

'•I  admit/'  says  one,  -'that  work  is  forbidden. 
Men  cannot  engage,  in  body  or  mind,  in  secular  busi- 
ness, without  disobeying  God.  But  may  they  not 
TRAVEL  on  that  day,  especially  under  peculiar  circum- 
stances ?  My  vessel  has  just  arrived  in  a  distant 
port ;  I  have  no  agent  there ;  the  markets  are  ex- 
tremely fluctuating.  Unless  I  am  there  to  take 
charge  of  the  cargo,  and  take  advantage  of  the  mar- 
kets, I  may  lose  all,  and  be  ruined.  May  I  not,  in 
that  case,  travel  on  the  Sabbath,  at  least  a  part  of  the 
day  ?  May  I  not  start  from  Boston  at  four  o'clock  on 
Saturday  afternoon,  get  into  New  York  at  six  or 
seven  o'clock  on  Sabbath  morning,  attend  church, 
and  at  four  o'clock  on  Sabbath  afternoon  start  for 
Philadelphia;  so  as  to  get  into  Baltimore  Monday 
noon  ?  I  can  spend  Saturday  evening  in  the  steam- 
boat, reading  the  Bible  and  preparing  for  the  Sab- 
bath ;  and  I  can  spend  Sabbath  evening  in  reflecting 
upon  what  I  have  heard  from  the  pulpit  during  the 
day.  May  I  not,  in  that  way,  while  1  am  asleep,  in- 
nocently be  carried  forward  a  few  hundred  miles  on 
my  journey  ?  " 

Suppose,  while  on  your  way,  God  should  meet 
you,  and  inquire,  "  Whither  goest  thou  ?  "  You  an- 
swer, "  To  Baltimore."  "  For  what  purpose  ?  " 
"To  see  to  my  vessel,  that  has  just  arrived,  and  to 
take  advantage  of  the  market."  "  But  who  gave  you 
liberty  to  be  seeking  on  the  Sabbath  to  take  advan- 
tage of  markets,  in  order  to  make  or  save  money  t 
Have  you  not  six  days  in  the  week  for  such  purposes, 


and  are  not  these  enough  ? "  What  would  you  an- 
swer ?  That  you  were  at  a  distance  from  the  market, 
and  needed  the  Sabbath  in  order  to  arrive  the  sooner  ? 
But  does  the  glory  of  God,  or  the  welfare  of  the  uni- 
verse, require  it,  or  even  permit  it  ?  Is  it  a  good 
example  ?  May  not  every  other  person  at  a  distance 
travel  for  the  same  purpose,  and  thus  the  benefits  of  the 
Sabbath  be  lost  ?  Are  the  Sabbath  and  its  blessings 
to  be  set  aside,  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  the 
world  to  be  sacrificed,  that  you  may  make  money? 
And  suppose  a  fellow-traveller,  having  heard  your 
replies,  should  ask,  *•  When  did  your  vessel  arrive  ? 
where  has  she  been  ?  what  is  her  cargo  ?  what 
amount  did  she  bring  ?  how  much  is  the  cargo  worth  ? 
what  will  you  take  for  it  ?  "  But  you  wish  to  keep 
the  Sabbath,  and  you  know  that  such  conversation 
would  profane  it.  So  you  tell  him,  "  I  do  not  wish 
to  talk  about  such  matters  on  the  Sabbath."  "But 
did  I  not  hear  you  say,"  he  inquires,  '•  that  you  were 
going  to  Baltimore  to  take  advantage  of  the  markets  ? 
Is  your  object  a  good  one,  and  yet  one  that  it  is 
wicked  to  talk  about  ? "  INIight  not  the  Lord  add, 
"  Thou  hypocrite  !  out  of  thine  owm  mouth  will  I 
judge  thee.  Thou  acknowledgest  that  thine  object  is 
such  that  it  is  sinful  even  to  talk  about  it ;  much 
more  is  it  wicked  to  pursue  it."  If  it  is  wicked  to 
make  bargains,  it  is  wicked  to  be  travelling  for  the 
purpose  of  making  them.  Who  does  not  see  that 
your  ow^n  heart  would  condemn  you  ?  You  are 
throwing  the  whole  weight  of  your  example  in  favor 
of  travelling  on  the  Sabbath  in  prosecution  of  world- 
ly business,  when  the  example  of  every  man  ought  to 
be,  and  that  of  every  enlightened  and  consistent  man 
will  be,  against  that  practice. 

"  Yes,  I  see,"  says  another,  '^  and  I  acknowledge, 
that  travelling  for  worldly  objects  on  the  Sabbath,  to 
make  money,  or  to  save  money,  even  if  a  person  does 
stop  and  attend  worship,  is  wrong.     It  is  a  bad  exam- 


54 

pie,  and  tends  to  do  evil.  Should  all  pursue  it,  the 
Sabbath  would  be  destroyed  ;  and  the  example  of 
those  who  do  pursue  it  is  as  really  wicked  as  it  would 
be  if  all  others  should  imitate  it.  But  my  travelling 
is  not  on  worldly  business.  I  finished  my  worldly 
business  at  three  o'clock  on  Saturday  afternoon.  May 
I  not  take  the  steamboat  which  starts  at  four,  and  get 
home  at  six  o'clock  on  Sabbath  morning,  so  as  to  be 
with  my  family,  and  attend  public  worship  in  my  own 
church  ?  "  If  you  may  do  so,  every  other  man  may 
do  the  same.  The  minister  of  the  gospel  may  do  it, 
in  order  to  be  with  his  family,  and  preach  to  his  own 
church  ;  and  the  minister  with  whom  he  exchanges 
may  also  do  so.  The  clerk  in  a  store  may  go  home, 
and  attend  church  with  his  parents.  At  six  o'clock  on 
Sabbath  afternoon,  he,  and  the  minister  who  preached 
on  exchange,  may  take  the  steamboat  and  go  back 
again,  two  hundred  miles,  so  as  to  be,  the  one  in  his 
store,  and  the  other  with  his  family,  on  Monday 
morning ;  for  it  is  evidently  no  more  really  wicked  to 
travel  on  the  last  part  of  the  Sabbath  than  on  the 
first.  One  part  is  as  holy  as  the  other.  And  the  day 
is  twenty-four  hours  long.  Who  cannot  see  that  this 
would  tend  to  destroy  the  influence  of  the  Sabbath, 
to  set  in  motion  every  steamboat  and  rail-car  that 
could  get  patronage,  and  to  deprive  all  the  men  who 
are  employed  on  them  of  the  rest  and  privileges  of 
the  day  ?  Those  men  have  an  inalienable  right  to 
the  benefits  of  the  Sabbath.  And  should  they  con- 
sult their  true  interests,  they  would  not,  for  any 
amount  of  money,  give  up  that  right,  or  cease  to  en- 
joy the  privilege.  They  cannot  do  it  without  curs- 
ing themselves  and  their  children.  The  evil  will  go 
down  to  their  children's  children.  No  friend  of  God 
or  man  can  consistently  aid  in  producing  such  evils. 
But  does  not  every  man  who  travels  on  board  the 
boat  or  in  the  cars,  on  the  Sabbath,  do  this  ?  Does 
not  he  encourage  the  owners  to  run,  and  thus  know- 


55 

ingly  become  a  partaker  in  their  sins  ?  Does  he  not 
lend  his  influence  to  keep  those  workmen  in  the  prac- 
tice of  habitually  profaning  the  Sabbath,  greatly  to 
their  injury,  and  the  injury  of  the  community  ?  Is 
this  right  ?  No,  it  is  not  right.  It  is  a  sin  —  a  great 
sin  against  God  and  man. 

"  That  might  be  the  case,"  says  one,  "  provided 
my  stopping  would  lead  to  the  stopping  of  the  boat. 
But  others  will  travel,  if  I  do  not ;  and,  as  the  boat 
will  run  at  any  rate,  I  may  go."  So  the  rumseller 
says,  The  business  is  bad ;  yes,  destructive.  He 
would  stop,  if  all  others  would.  But,  as  rum  will  be 
sold,  whether  he  sells  it  or  not,  therefore  he  may  sell. 
But  the  question  is,  and  that  which  is  to  settle  the 
whole  matter.  Is  it  right  7  Is  the  example  good  ? 
Would  it  be  useful  for  others  to  follow  it  ?  Would  it 
promote  piety,  morality,  and  religion  ?  If  not,  it  is 
wicked.  Suppose  that  others  will  commit  wickedness 
if  he  should  not ;  will  that  justify  him  in  committing 
it,  and  thus  adding  his  influence  to  that  of  others  in 
pouring  the  flood  of  desolation  over  the  land  ?  His 
object  is,  not  the  good  of  society,  but  the  making  of 
money.  And,  as  others  will  make  money  by  wicked- 
ness, therefore  he  will,  and  thus  be  as  wicked  as 
they. 

And  is  it  not  so  with  the  man  who  will  travel  on 
the  Sabbath,  or  the  first  six  hours  of  it,  to  get  home 
to  his  family  ?  Is  not  his  great  object  to  make  money, 
or  to  save  money,  by  doing  his  travelling  on  the 
Lord's  day,  and  that  he  may  have  one  more  day  to 
attend  to  business  ?  Or  is  it  not  his  own  pleasure,  in 
being  with  his  family,  which  he  seeks,  above  the 
glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  mankind  ?  '^  No,"  a 
man  says,  '•'  it  is  not  so  with  me.  By  being  carried 
on  Saturday  night,  while  I  am  asleep,  from  New  York 
to  Boston,  or  a  considerable  portion  of  the  way,  and 
going  the  rest  early  in  the  morning  in  the  cars,  I  can 
keep  the  Sabbath  better  than  I  could  at  a  tavern,  or 
5* 


56 

with  a  friend  in  New  York."  What  is  the  meaning 
of  this  ?  Is  it  any  thing  more  than,  '^  I  think  I  should 
enjoy  the  Sabbath  better  myself,  and  make  it  more 
useful  to  me"?  ''  Yes,"  a  man  says,  ''my  family 
need  my  presence.  By  being  with  them,  I  can  lead 
them  to  keep  the  Sabbath  better,  and  in  a  manner 
more  useful  to  others."  If  that  is  the  case,  and  it  is 
on  that  account  your  duty  to  be  with  them,  then  it  is 
your  duty  to  go  to  them  during  the  week  time,  and 
set  them  an  example  of  keeping  the  Sabbath  at  the 
beginnings  as  well  as  in  the  middle,  and  at  the  end  of 
the  day.  One  part  is  as  holy  as  another.  By  going 
home  on  Sabbath  morning,  you  set  the  example  of 
Sabbath-breaking,  which  they  may  follow  after  you 
are  dead.  You  teach  them  that  only  a  part  of  the 
Sabbath  is  to  be  kept  holy  ;  and  is  that  the  right  way 
to  induce  them  properly  to  observe  it  ?  You  are 
found  in  company  with  the  most  notorious  and  shame- 
less Sabbath-breakers,  helping  to  deprive  those  em- 
ployed of  the  rest  and  privileges  of  the  Sabbath,  that 
your  family  may  the  better  enjoy  them ;  and  you  are 
setting  an  example,  which,  if  followed,  would  destroy 
the  Sabbath  itself.  If  you  may  travel  the  first  six 
hours,  or  the  first  two,  others,  whose  convenience,  in 
their  view,  requires  it,  may  travel  the  next  two,  or 
six  ;  and  others,  the  next.  The  whole  day  may  be 
occupied  by  different  parties  travelling  to  and  fro,  and 
the  day  become  subject  to  general  desecration.  To 
such  desecration  your  example  inevitably  tends. 

On  the  whole,  instead  of  benefiting  your  family,  or 
leading  them,  as  they  grow  up,  better  to  keep  the 
Sabbath,  it  will  operate  powerfully  the  other  way. 
The  scream  of  the  rail-car  tells  to  all  who  hear  it, 
that  men  are  trampling  on  the  Sabbath.  This  tends 
to  break  down  its  sacred  enclosures,  and  lead  others 
to  trample  upon  its  holy  hours.  And  when  the  pas- 
sengers get  out,  it  is  seen  that  you  are  among  them. 
That  scream  of  the  cars  gave  notice  of  your  arrival, 


57 

and  your  own  conscience  condemns  you.  Why  else 
did  you  wish  to  arrive  in  silence,  before  it  was  light  ? 
Why  step  so  quietly  along  that  private  back  way  ? 
Why  hope  that  your  neighbors  would  not  see  you, 
and  that  you  might  arrive  before  your  children  should 
be  up  ?  Why  wish  to  have  them  meet  you  first  in 
the  stillness  and  quiet  of  the  day,  rather  than  coming 
in  with  your  baggage  from  a  distant  journey  ?  You 
know  that  it  is  wrong  ;  hence  the  eifort  that  you  make 
to  satisfy  yourself  and  others,  that  in  your  peculiar 
case  it  is  allowable.  You  acknowledge  that  it  would, 
on  the  whole,  be  better  for  the  community  if  no 
steamboat  or  rail-car  should  run,  and  if  all  the  work- 
men should  be  allowed  to  have  the  rest  and  privileges 
of  the  Sabbath. 

''  But  THE  MAIL,  the  mail  must  run  on  the  Sabbath. 
Of  course,  somebody  must  go  with  it ;  and,  if  others 
may  go,  why  may  not  I  ?  "  This  reasoning,  if  it  were 
sound,  and  the  statement,  if  true,  would  not  justify 
any  one  in  travelling,  except  those  who  must  aid  in 
carrying  the  mail.  But  the  statement  is  not  true,  and 
the  reasoning  is  not  sound.  It  is  not  necessary  for 
the  mail  to  go  on  the  Sabbath.  It  goes  far  enough, 
and  quick  enough,  during  the  week.  What  have 
men  to  do  with  moneyed  letters,  stocks,  and  markets, 
on  the  Sabbath  ?  It  is  a  violation  of  the  day  to  go  to 
the  post-office  for  such  letters ;  and  it  would  be  a 
violation  of  it  to  read  them  if  a  man  had  them  on  his 
table,  or  to  occupy  his  thoughts  about  them.  The 
Sabbath  was  made  and  given  to  men  for  a  different 
purpose  —  a  sacred  and  religious  purpose.  Men  are 
forbidden  on  that  day  to  occupy  their  minds,  no  less 
than  their  bodies,  about  worldly  things.  After  God 
has  been  so  kind,  in  his  providence,  as  to  furnish 
steamboats,  and  rail-cars,  and  electric  telegraphs,  to 
send  information  all  the  six  days  with  almost  light- 
ning speed,  for  men  to  rob  him  of  the  seventh,  for  the 


58 

purpose  of  conveying  to  merchants,  from  city  to  city, 
information  about  trade,  is  ungrateful  :  it  is  wicked, 
and  it  ought  not  to  be  suffered  by  a  free  people.  It 
is  wholly  unnecessary.  No  mail  leaves  London,  the 
mercantile  metropolis  of  the  world,  on  the  Sabbath. 
None  need  to  leave  any  city,  town,  or  village.  And 
when  men  obey  God,  none  ordinarily  will.  A  late 
postmaster-general  acknowledged,  that  the  running 
of  the  mails  in  the  United  States  on  the  Sabbath  is 
wholly  unnecessary ;  that  nothing  but  the  cupidity 
of  merchants  creates  the  seeming  necessity  ;  and  that 
the  government  would  be  glad  to  have  them  stop.  It 
would  save  a  vast  amount  of  money,  which,  without 
increasing  the  revenue,  is  now  paid  out  for  Sabbath- 
breaking  mails ;  and  it  would  be  better  for  the  coun- 
try if  all  should  be  stopped. 

But,  it  is  said,  there  are  sometimes  cases  of  sickness 
or  death,  where  it  is  convenient,  if  not  necessary,  to 
have  the  mail  on  an  emergency,  which,  if  there  were 
no  mail  on  the  Sabbath,  would  call  forth  an  express, 
and  it  might  be  proper  to  send  one.  In  such  a  case 
they  might,  on  the  Sabbath,  should  it  be  needful,  use 
the  telegraph,  or  send  an  express.  The  evil  of  so 
doing  would  be  nothing,  compared  with  the  evil  of 
an  open,  systematic,  habitual  violation  of  the  Sabbath 
by  the  transportation  of  the  mails  for  mercantile  and 
moneyed  purposes.  No  law  of  Congress  requires  such 
transportation.  It  is  only  a  regulation  of  the  post- 
master-general, which  becomes  a  law  because  he  has 
adopted  it.  He  can  at  any  time  annul  it.  Within 
the  last  ten  years,  more  than  eighty  thousand  miles  of 
Sabbath-breaking  mails  in  the  United  States  have 
been  stopped,  and  what  were  stopped  at  one  time  saved 
to  the  government  more  than  sixty  thousand  dollars  a 
year.  They  may  all  be  stopped,  when  the  people 
desire  it ;  and  all  the  great  interests  of  the  country 
be  promoted.  And  while  they  run,  nothing  but  the 
mail,  and  proper  persons  to  attend  it,  need  to  go,  or 


ought  to  go.     Of  course  the  fact  that  the  mail  runs, 
justifies  no  one  in  pursuing  his  journey  on  that  day. 

Let  all  travellers  stop,  and  soon,  very  soon,  the 
mails  will  stop.  In  order  to  this,  let  no  good  man 
travel  at  the  beginning,  in  the  middle,  or  at  the  end 
of  the  Sabbath,  even  to  get  home  to  his  family.  If  he 
is  absent,  and  ought  to  be  with  them  on  the  Sabbath, 
let  him  return  to  them  on  a  week  day.  If  he  cannot 
do  that,  let  him  rest  where  he  is,  and  leave  them  with 
God.  His  business  is  to  keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy 
where  he  is.  Is  it  a  wicked  place  ?  So  much  greater 
is  the  need  that  he  should  set  a  good  example.  Do 
others  trample  on  the  Sabbath  ?  He  is  bound  to  hal- 
low it,  and  he  may  have  been  called  to  stay  there  for 
that  very  purpose.  None  can  tell  but  that  he  may 
there,  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty,  be  more  useful 
than  he  could  be,  at  that  time,  at  home,  or  in  any 
other  place.  Of  course,  all  shadow  of  reason,  on  the 
ground  of  usefulness,  why  he  should  take  the  Sab- 
bath for  travelling,  is  removed.  All  good  reasons  are 
on  the  other  side.  As  to  enjoyment,  he  must,  if  he 
would  obey  God,  sometimes  deny  himself,  take  up  the 
cross,  and  seek,  not  his  own  gratification,  or  that  of 
his  family,  but  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of 
mankind.  These  will  be  promoted,  not  in  the  viola- 
tion of,  but  in  obedience  to,  his  commands.  His  own 
good,  and  that  of  his  family,  and,  in  the  end,  their 
highest  enjoyment,  will  be  increased  in  the  same 
way. 

"  But  I  am  on  a  journey :  I  have  my  family  with 
me  :  we  are  removing  to  a  distant  part  of  the  coun- 
try :  I  have  but  little  money,  and  must  be  economi- 
cal. May  I  not  harness  up  my  team,  go  to  the  next 
town,  and  there  attend  church  ;  in  the  intermission  go 
to  the  next  town,  attend  church  in  the  afternoon, 
while  the  horses  are  eating,  and,  after  meeting,  drive 
on  till    evening  ? "     This  would  be   an  attempt   to 


60  * 

serve  God  and  Mammon,  which  our  Savior  has  de- 
clared to  be  impossible.  If  the  Lord  be  God,  follow 
him ;  but  if  Mammon,  then  follow  him.  On  that 
plan,  should  there  be  no  church  on  the  road,  the  fam- 
ily might,  except  when  refreshing  their  teams,  travel 
all  the  time. 

Those  who  are  removing  from  one  part  of  the 
country  to  another,  and  who  travel  but  six  days  in  a 
week,  ordinarily  arrive  at  their  journey's  end  as  soon 
as  those  who  travel  seven,  and  with  their  teams  in 
better  order. 

Two  families  were  removing  to  a  distant  part  of 
the  country,  when  the  Sabbath  came.  One  of  them 
stopped,  and  kept  it  holy.  The  other  went  on  for  the 
purpose  of  getting  forward  on  their  journey,  and  thus 
saving  time  and  money.  In  the  course  of  the  day, 
one  of  the  children  fell  out  of  the  wagon,  and  was 
run  over.  They  were  obliged,  on  account  of  it,  to 
stop  three  weeks.  The  other  family  stopped  but  one 
day,  and  that  was  needed  to  refresh  themselves  and 
their  horses.  The  rest  of  the  time  they  travelled 
safely,  and  with  success. 

A  number  of  men  started  together  on  horseback  for 
a  distant  state.  A  part  stopped  every  Sabbath  ;  the 
others  were  pressed  with  business,  and  thought  that 
they  could  not  afford  the  time.     The  Sabbath-keepers 

arrived  at on  Saturday,  a  little  after  noon.     On 

Sabbath  evening,  just  before  the  going  down  of  the 
sun,  the  Sabbath-breakers  arrived,  with  their  horses 
so  jaded  and  worn  out,  that,  in  the  language  of  one  of 
the  other  party,  "they  were  hardly  fit  to  be  used." 

*'  But  sometimes  ladies  are  travelling  alone,  or  those 
under  Avhose  protection  they  are  will  not  stop  on  the 
Sabbath."  That  was  the  case  with  two  ladies  who 
were  travelling  from  one  of  the  Eastern  to  one  of  the 
Western  States.  On  Saturday  afternoon,  they  stopped, 
and  went  alone  from  the  boat  to  the  public  house, 
where  they  spent  the  Sabbath.      The  gentleman  and 


61 

his  daughter,  with  whom  they  were  travelling,  thought 
they  had  not  time  to  stop,  and  went  on.  The  boat 
that  night  sprung  a  leak.  The  daughter  got  wet, 
took  a  violent  cold,  which  occasioned  a  fever,  and 
both  father  and  daughter  were  detained  for  some  time 
at  a  public  house  on  the  road.  The  two  ladies  who 
stopped  and  kept  the  Sabbath,  in  the  course  of  a 
week  passed  by  the  others,  and  went  on  in  safety  and 
without  interruption  to  their  journey's  end. 

The  stage-coach  arrived,  on  a  certain  occasion,  on 
the  top  of  one  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains  on  Satur- 
day night.  A  lady  on  board  requested  the  driver  to 
take  off  her  trunk,  as  she  did  not  travel  on  the  Sab- 
bath. He  said  he  would  if  she  insisted  upon  it,  but 
she  had  better  go  on.  The  coach  was  going  direct- 
ly on  :  the  other  lady  was  going  ;  all  the  passen- 
gers were  going,  and  she  had  better  go  ;  for,  if  she 
stopped,  she  might  have  to  stay  there  a  week.  There 
had  not  been  a  coach  along  for  many  days  that  was 
not  crowded  ;  and  no  way-passengers  could  get  in, 
unless  there  was  a  vacant  seat.  She,  however, 
stopped,  and  the  coach  departed.  In  descending  the 
mountain,  it  was  overturned.  The  lady  who  went 
on  was  killed,  and  a  number  of  the  passengers  were 
badly  injured.  On  Monday  another  coach  arrived, 
with  one  vacant  seat,  which  the  Sabbath-keeping 
lady  took,  and  reached  her  friends  in  safety.  She 
did  not,  on  the  whole,  lose  any  thing  by  stopping  ; 
but  she  had  reason  to  bless  her  Father  in  heaven  for 
the  Sabbath,  and  also  for  a  disposition  rightly  to 
keep  it. 

"  But  I  have  been  absent  from  home  a  long  time  ; 
I  have  not  heard  from  my  family ;  and  they  may  be 
sick.  By  riding  on  the  Sabbath  I  may  see  them  a 
day  sooner.  Or,  I  may  have  arrived  on  Saturday 
within  half  a  day's  journey.  May  I  not  finish  my 
journey  on  the  Sabbath  ?  "  It  is  not  certain,  if  you 
attempt  it,  that  you  will  see  your  family  any  sooner  j 


62 

or,  if  you  should,  that  would  not  prove  it  to  be  right. 
A  man  similarly  situated  travelled  on  the  Sabbath. 
The  last  steamboat  which  he  took,  and  the  one  which 
he  supposed  would  convey  him  safely  to  his  family, 
took  fire,  and  was  consumed.  Only  a  few  solitary 
passengers  remained  to  tell  the  mournful  story.  He 
never  again  saw  his  family.  Had  he  stopped  on  the 
Sabbath,  he  would  have  escaped  this  catastrophe.  He 
might,  indeed,  have  met  with  some  other.  But  sup- 
pose he  had  ;  if  that  was  to  be  the  last  Sabbath  he 
was  ever  to  spend  on  earth,  would  it  not  have  been 
better  to  spend  it  in  resting,  according  to  the  com- 
mandment, and  in  preparation,  by  religious  duties,  for 
that  rest  which  remainetli  for  the  people  of  God,  rath- 
er than  in  giving  his  sanction  to  the  running  of  steam- 
boats on  the  Sabbath  ? 

"  But  THE  PACKET  IS  TO  LEAVE  THE  PORT  OH  Sab- 
bath morning  for  a  distant  voyage.  If  I  do  not  go 
then,  I  must  wait  a  long  time  —  perhaps  lose  my  voy- 
age. What  shall  I  do  ?  "  Persuade  the  captain  to 
stop,  if  you  can,  till  Monday  ;  and,  if  you  cannot, 
stop  yourself,  till  some  future  opportunity.  Let  every 
captain  know,  not  by  words  merely,  but  by  deeds, 
that,  if  he  would  have  the  patronage  of  good  men, 
he  must  not  leave  a  port  on  the  Sabbath,  and  the  evil 
of  such  practices  will  soon  be  done  away. 

One  man  took  the  packet  for  a  distant  port.  He 
started  on  the  Sabbath  because  he  thought  he  must 
do  it  in  order  to  arrive  in  season.  Another  refused  to 
start,  and  waited  for  a  boat  that  left  on  a  week  day. 
Yet  he  arrived  in  port  a  number  of  days  before  the 
other. 

Another  vessel  was  about  to  leave  a  harbor  on  the 
Sabbath.  A  gentleman  tried  to  induce  the  captain  to 
stop  till  Monday.  He  said  he  should  like  it,  but  the 
owners  could  not  wait.  They  pressed  him,  and  he 
must  go.      He  started.      Soon  the  wind  arose,  and 


63 

after  tossing  in  great  danger  for  three  hours,  the  vessel 
was  thrown  upon  a  rock.  There  she  lay  for  three 
days.  Then,  to  repair  her  damages,  she  was  detained 
in  port  for  three  weeks.  So  that  it  was  proved  by 
facts  that  those  owners  who  said  they  could  not  wait 
for  one  day,  though  it  was  the  Sabbath,  could  wait, 
for  they  did  wait  three  weeks. 

The  writer  of  this  recollects  well  taking  leave,  on 
Sabbath  morning,  of  a  captain  who  was  very  rekic- 
tant  to  depart.  But  he  was  pressed  off  by  the  own- 
ers, because  the  vessel  was  ready,  and  the  wind  was 
fair.  But  neither  he  nor  his  vessel  was  ever  again 
heard  of. 

A  number  of  families  were  very  desirous  of  taking 
passage  on  board  a  new  and  elegant  steamboat  that 
was  to  start  on  the  Sabbath  for  a  voyage  of  about  a 
thousand  miles.  They  urged  the  captain  to  stop  till 
Monday,  and  offered  him  a  large  sum  of  money,  in 
addition  to  the  fare,  if  he  would  stop.  But  he  refused, 
and  they  refused  to  go  in  his  boat.  They  returned 
to  their  lodgings,  and  kept  the  Sabbath.  The  cap- 
tain started  on  his  voyage  ;  but  he  had  not  proceeded 
half  the  distance,  when  his  boat  was  blown  up,  and 
the  captain  and  numerous  passengers  were  killed. 
The  fragments  of  the  shattered  boat  were  scattered 
far  and  wide  over  the  waters.  Those  who  had  re- 
fused to  go  in  her,  took  another  boat  in  the  course  of 
the  week,  and  arrived  in  safety  at  their  place  of  desh 
tination. 

While  writing  this  document,  the  following  state- 
ment came  to  hand  :  — 

^'  At  a  meeting  of  the  Lord's  Day  Society  in  New- 
castle, the  Rev.  J.  Longmuir,  of  Aberdeen,  delivered 
an  address  on  the  evil  of  '  Sabbath-sailing.'  The  in- 
terest manifested  induced  the  chairman  of  the  meet- 
ing to  relate  some  deeply-affecting  circumstances  per- 
sonally known  to  himself.  This  gentleman,  a  few 
years  ago,  was  owner  of  a  fine  vessel.     Her  captain 

No.  4.  6 


64 

had  been  brought  up  by  him  from  his  youth,  and, 
when  sufficiently  qualified,  had  been  sent  to  sea  as 
captain  of  this  vessel,  with  orders  never  to  sail  from 
port  on  the  Lord's  day.  For  a  long  time  these  orders 
were  faithfully  obeyed.  The  captain,  honest  and  in- 
dustrious in  his  business,  became  highly  respected  by 
his  employer.  On  one  occasion,  he  was  all  ready  to 
go  to  sea.  The  season  was  fine,  and  the  captain  had 
determined  to  take  his  wife  and  child  with  him  on 
the  voyage.  They  were  on  board.  Adverse  winds 
sprung  up.  The  vessel  was  detained  for  several  days. 
On  the  Lord's  day  morning  the  scene  was  changed ; 
a  fair  wind  and  smooth  sea  tempted  him  to  leave  the 
port.  Alas  !  the  temptation  was  too  strong  for  his 
weak  faith.  He  yielded  to  it.  Within  little  more 
than  twelve  hours  of  their  crossing  the  bar  at  Shields, 
every  soul  on  board  that  vessel  had  perished.  No  one 
was  left  to  explain  the  circumstances  which  brought 
about  this  melancholy  event ;  but  it  was  supposed 
that  the  vessel  had  struck  upon  a  sand  bank,  and  that 
the  captain,  having  lost  the  moral  courage  and  self- 
possession  arising  from  a  conscience  at  peace  with  God, 
quitted  his  vessel,  and  with  all  on  board  took  to  a 
small  boat,  which  was  overturned  in  the  surf,  and  the 
whole  crew  were  called  to  appear  in  the  eternal  world. 
The  vessel  shortly  after  floated  with  the  rising  tide, 
and  came  on  shore  apparently  just  as  the  crew  had 
left  it,  the  cabin  not  at  all  disordered.  A  canary 
hanging  in  its  cage,  full  of  life  and  vigor,  was  sing- 
ing as  if  all  were  well  and  its  accustomed  shipmates 
each  occupied  his  accustomed  place." 

We  can  never  know,  when  a  Sabbath  comes,  but  it 
may  be  our  last  on  earth.  Wisdom,  therefore,  safety, 
interest,  and  duty,  all  require  that  we  should  spend  it 
in  such  a  manner  that,  should  it  be  the  last,  we  may 
spend  the  next  in  heaven.  Had  the  men  known, 
when  repairing  the  steamboat,  that  it  was  the  last 
Sabbath  they  would  ever  spend  in  port,  would  they 


65 

have  employed  it  in  repairing  her  machinery ;  espe- 
cially those  to  whom,  in  less  than  a  week,  she  would 
be  a  grave  ? 

*'  This  journeying  for  money,  or  personal  conve- 
nience or  pleasure,  or  the  pleasure  and  profit  of 
friends,"  says  one,  "as  well  as  engaging  in  worldly 
business,  is  all  evidently  wrong.  They  are  a  viola- 
tion of  divine  commands,  and  tend  to  eternal  ruin. 
But  I  am  peculiarly  situated.  I  am  engaged  in  the 
city  all  the  week,  in  confined  rooms  and  bad  air. 
My  HEALTH  requires  that  on  the  Sabbath  I  should  go 
out  into  the  country,  take  exercise,  breathe  the  fresh 
air,  and  recruit  my  exhausted  energies."  But  how 
comes  it  that  your  health  requires  you  to  take  the 
Lord's  day  for  such  purposes,  rather  than  one  of  your 
own  days  ?  Why  not  take  Saturday  afternoon,  or 
some  portion  of  the  six  days,  for  going  into  the  coun- 
try, and  give  to  God  his  day  ?  Or,  in  other  words, 
Why  not  be  honest  ?  Why  must  you  rob  God  for 
your  purposes,  when  you  have  six  parts  of  the  week, 
through  his  kindness,  for  your  work,  and  he  but  one 
set  apart  as  holy?  Is  not  his  time  as  precious  as 
yours,  and  are  not  the  objects  of  the  Sabbath  as  im- 
portant as  your  business  ?  Or  must  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  good  of  the  universe  be  sacrificed  to  you  ? 
No  man  has  a  right  so  closely  and  continuously  to 
employ  himself  or  others  during  the  week  time,  that 
he  cannot  give  to  God  the  Sabbath,  or  so  that  his 
health  will  not  permit  him  to  devote  it  to  spiritual 
and  religious  duties.  He  is  bound  to  take  as  much 
of  the  week  time  for  relaxation  as  his  health  requires. 

But  is  it  not  said,  "Six  days  shalt  thou  labor"? 
It  is  so  said  ;  but  the  meaning  is  not,  you  shall  labor 
so  much  as  to  injure  your  health,  or  unfit  you  to  re- 
member the  Sabbath  and  keep  it  holy.  If  you  do 
that,  you  violate  both  commands,  one  by  excess  and 
the  other  by  defect.     The  meanmg  is,  confine  your 


66 

secular  labors  and  cares  to  six  days,  and  give  to  God 
the  Sabbath.  Both,  properly  attended  to,  are  not 
only  consistent  with,  but  promotive  of  health ;  nor  is 
it  necesiiary  or  right  for  the  one  to  encroach  upon  the 
other.  There  is  time  enough  for  both,  if  it  only  be 
rightly  divided.  It  is  the  duty  of  a  man  to  eat;  nor 
does  his  stopping  his  business  long  enough  during  the 
week  time  to  do  this,  break  the  command,  "Six  days 
shalt  thou  labor,"  but  it  helps  him  rightly  to  obey  it. 
He  could  not  otherwise  obey  the  command.  But  if 
he  eats  so  much  as  to  make  himself  sick,  or  unfit  him 
to  keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy,  and  make  it  necessary 
to  take  medicine,  or  ride  out  into  the  country,  to  re- 
cruit his  health,  he  sijis  against  God.  against  his 
own  soul,  and  against  the  great  interests  of  the  ivorld. 
He  unfits  himself  for  his  duty.  Besides,  he  obliges 
the  dumb  beasts  to  labor,  if  he  uses  them,  at  a  time 
when  God  has  expressly  commanded  that  they  should 
be  permitted  to  rest.  This  is  a  sin.  Nor  does  the 
fact  that  his  health  requires  it,  if  this  is  caused  by 
excessive  devotion  to  business,  or  any  species  of  wrong 
doing,  free  him  from  guilt. 

"  But  I  am  an  apprentice,  or  a  clerk  in  a  store.  I 
am  under  the  control  of  others,  and  my  time  is  not  at 
my  own  command.  May  not  I  take  the  Sabbath  for 
recreation,  for  amusement,  for  riding  or  walking  into 
the  country,  and  such  exercises  as  my  health  re- 
quires? "  "  To  the  law  and  the  testimony."  "  What 
saith  the  commandment  ?  "  Is  this  remembering  the 
Sabbath  as  the  Lord's  day,  and  as  such  keeping  it 
holy  ?  Or  is  it  an  exception  to  this,  for  which  you 
plead,  on  account  of  your  being  an  apprentice  or  a 
clerk  ?  If  the  latter,  your  peculiar  situation  is  not  a 
good  reason  for  taking  such  a  course.  Your  em- 
ployer is  bound  to  give  you  as  much  time  for  such 
purposes  as  your  health  renders  needful,  during  the 
week,  as  really  as  he  is  bound  to  permit  you  to  stop 
long  enough  to  eat  or  to  sleep.     If  he  will  not  do 


this,  and  you  cannot,  consistently  with  your  heahh, 
keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy,  then  you  are  in  an  un- 
lawful situation,  and  you  are  bound  to  leave  it.  You 
have  no  right  to  put,  or  to  keep  yourself  in  a  condi- 
tion where  you  cannot  obey  God,  in  keeping  holy 
his  Sabbath.  You  are  bound  to  free  yourself  from 
it.  If  you  continue  voluntarily  in  it,  you  involve 
yourself  in  guilt.  And  the  fact  that  you  cannot 
elsewhere  obtain  as  much  money,  is  no  sufficient  rea- 
son why  you  should  not  change  your  situation,  and 
go  where  you  can,  consistently  with  your  health, 
keep  the  command  of  God.  Employers  have  no 
right  so  to  occupy  those  under  their  care  as  to  cre- 
ate any  seeming  necessity,  or  throw  the  temptation 
before  them,  to  desecrate  the  Sabbath.  If  they  do, 
they  are  partakers,  if  not  the  principals  in  guilt,  and 
are  violators  of  that  command  which  extends  ex- 
pressly, not  merely  to  themselves,  but  to  all  under 
their  care.  They  are  bound  to  permit  those  whom 
they  employ  to  have  as  much  time  as  the  recruiting 
of  exhausted  energies,  and  also  the  keeping  of  the 
Sabbath,  requires.  If  they  refuse  to  do  this,  they  are 
guilty ;  as  are  all  who  tempt  others  to  violate,  and  all 
who  aid  and  abet  others  in  the  violation  of  the 
Lord's  day. 

"  But  I  am  employed  on  board  of  a  ferry-boat. 
The  boat  runs  every  day  in  the  week,  and  I  am  ne- 
cessarily occupied  from  morning  till  evening.  I  can- 
not, therefore,  keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy,  or  even 
attend  public  worship."  Then  you  are  bound  to  quit 
that  employment,  and  engage  in  one  in  which  you 
can  keep  the  Sabbath  holy.  Your  present  employ- 
ment on  the  Sabbath  day  is  a  wicked  employment, 
carried  on,  not  to  honor  God  and  do  good,  but  to 
make  money,  and  in  a  way  which  he  has  forbidden. 

*'  But  people  cross  the  ferry  to  attend  public  wor- 
ship." That  is  no  good  reason  why  any  others 
6* 


68 

should  cross  for  amusement  or  pleasure.  Nor  is  it 
£my  good  reason  why  those  should  cross  who  attend 
public  worship,  provided  they  can  attend  public  wor- 
ship without  it.  And  if  they  cannot,  that  is  no  good 
reason  why  the  boatmen  should  not  attend  worship 
as  well  as  they,  and  the  boats  stop,  except  when  it  is 
needful  to  carry  over  or  return  the  worshippers. 

''But  ministers  cross  the  ferry  to  exchange  pulpits 
with  their  brethren."  Yet  this  is  not  needful  ;  for 
they  can  preach  in  their  own  pulpits,  or,  when  they 
exchange,  can  go  on  Saturday,  and  return  on  Monday. 
It  is  not  needful  that  you  should  be  deprived  of  the  rest 
and  privileges  of  the  Sabbath  to  accommodate  them 
in  this  thing.  It  is  not  a  work  of  necessary  mercy , 
nor  is  it  required  by  the  best  discharge  of  the  appro- 
priate duties  of  the  Sabbath.  They  have  no  right 
to  require  you  to  disobey  God,  in  order  to  accommo- 
date them.  And  if  you  do  it,  the  fact  that  they  are 
ministers  of  the  gospel,  and  that  you  carried  them 
over  to  preach,  while  you  carried  others  over  to  en- 
gage in  amusements,  will  not  save  you  from  guilt,  or 
screen  you  from  punishment. 

"  No,"  says  a  man,  ''  this  running  of  the  ferry-boats 
all  the  Sabbath,  and  going  out  with  steam-boats,  and 
pleasure-boats,  and  rail-cars,  is  evidently  wicked,  and 
tends  powerfully  to  promote  Sabbath  desecration  ; 
but  I  am  the  keeper  of  a  livery  stable,  and  if  I  do 
not  let  my  horses  on  the  Sabbath,  I  cannot  maintain 
my  business."  Then  it  is  an  immoral  and  a  wicked 
business.  You  are  bound  to  abandon  it,  because  you 
are  aiding  the  known,  open,  and  habitual  violation  of 
the  law  of  God.  You  are  also,  and  for  worldly  pur- 
poses, employing  your  horses  on  a  day  when  God 
commands  that  they  shall  not  be  so  employed.  You 
are  demoralizing  and  debasing  your  own  mind,  and 
the  minds  of  your  fellow-men.  You  are  exerting  an 
influence  which  tends  to  destroy  the  Sabbath  as  a 


69 

holy  day,  and  to  rob  the  world  of  its  inestimable  ben- 
efits. Is  that  right  ?  Will  it,  in  the  end,  be  profita- 
ble ?  Will  it  yield  you  consolation  in  the  hour  of 
death,  and  will  the  reward  be  such  as  will  cheer  and 
comfort  you  in  eternity  ?  Remember,  that  as  a  man 
soweth,  so  shall  he  reap.  The  breaking  down  of  the 
Sabbath,  or  the  devoting  of  it  to  worldly  concerns, 
tends  to  undermine  the  moral  government  of  God, 
and  is  clothed  with  the  guilt  of  treason  against  the 
Most  High. 

Nor  is  it  certain,  that,  without  letting  your  horses 
on  the  Sabbath,  you  cannot  maintain  your  business. 
A  man  who  had  kept  a  stable,  said,  "  I  had  let  horses 
on  the  Sabbath  for  a  number  of  years.  I  thought 
that,  if  I  should  not  do  so,  I  could  not  sustain  my- 
self, and  yet  I  knew  that  it  was  wrong.  The 
thought  one  day  occurred,  God  has  been  very  kind  to 
you  ;  he  has  long  been  doing  you  good,  and  for  you 
to  be  so  regardless  of  his  commands  as  to  continue 
openly  to  violate  his  Sabbath,  and  exert  an  influence 
calculated  to  banish  it  from  the  world,  is  ungrateful. 
It  is  wicked.  Besides,  God  has  taken  care  of  your 
family,  while  you  have  been  openly  rebelling  against 
him  ;  and,  should  you  turn  about,  and  obey  his  com- 
mands, is  it  not  likely  that  he  will  provide  for  them 
still?  So  I  resolved  to  try.  I  had  advertisements 
struck  oflT  and  posted  up,  saying  that  my  stable  would 
not  be  opened  on  the  Sabbath.  At  first,  some  fell  off, 
but  others  liked  it.  I  began  to  fill  up  ;  and  my  busi- 
ness, on  the  whole,  was  quite  as  profitable  as  before. 
One  thing  was  very  remarkable.  I  had  been  at  an 
expense  before,  upon  an  average,  for  a  number  of 
years,  of  from  three  to  four  hundred  dollars  a  year,  on 
account  of  the  lameness  and  sickness  of  horses.  But 
afterwards,  these  expenses  were  not  ten  dollars  a 
year."  Men  who  will  break  the  Sabbath  will  kill 
horses.  They  are  reckless,  as  well  as  vicious ;  and 
many  a  time,  the  injury  done  to  horses  is  far  greater 


70 

than  the  profits  of  letting  them  on  the  Sabbath.  It 
might  not  be  so  in  all  cases.  But,  whether  it  would 
be  or  not  J  if  men  cannot  keep  a  livery  stable  without 
the  open  and  habitual  violation  of  the  Sabbath,  let 
them  abandon  the  business,  and  follow  some  more 
moral,  even  if  it  should  be  a  less  lucrative  employ- 
ment. It  is  not  ^^  the  chief  end  of  man''''  to  make 
money. 

"  But  other  men  will  let  horses  on  the  Sabbath,  if 
I  do  not."  Other  men  will  steal,  if  you  do  not ;  but 
that  is  no  reason  why  you  should,  nor  will  it  screen 
you  from  guilt  and  condemnation  if  you  do. 

''  But  professors  of  religion  come  to  my  stable,  and 
hire  horses  on  the  Sabbath  ;  and  it  is  no  worse  for 
me  to  let  horses,  than  it  is  for  them  to  hire  them." 
That  may  be.  Some  professors  of  religion  have 
forged  notes,  but  that  is  no  reason  why  you  should 
do  so.  It  was  wicked  in  them  to  do  it,  and  wicked 
for  any  one,  in  order  to  get  money,  knowingly 
to  aid  and  abet  in  doing  it.  It  would  not  shield 
them,  when  brought  before  a  court  of  justice,  to  say, 
that  the  men  whom  they  aided  in  this  matter  were 
professors  of  religion.  No  more  will  it  shield  those 
who  have  aided  professors  of  religion  in  violating  the 
Sabbath.  Each  man  must  answer  for  his  own  sins, 
and  cannot  shield  himself  under  the  sins  of  others, 
even  though  they  be  professors  of  religion.  And  he 
who  aids  professedly  good  men  in  committing  sin,  is 
as  really  guilty  as  he  who  aids  notoriously  bad  men  j 
and  he  may  do  even  greater  mischief  Sin  does  not 
lose  its  hateful  character  or  mischievous  tendency  by 
being  committed  by  professors  of  religion.  Its  evils 
are  often  greatly  increased.  If  a  bad  business  must 
be  carried  on,  leave  it  wholly  and  exclusively  to  no- 
toriously bad  men,  that  every  child  may  see  at  once 
that  it  is  an  immoral  employment.  Let  all  good  men, 
all  moral  men,  all  decent  men,  shun  it  as  they  would 
shun  the  plague.     Let  no  such  man  ever  be  seen  in 


n 

any  business  on  the  Sabbath,  except  such  as  is  required 
for  purposes  of  necessary  mercy  and  the  appropriate  du- 
ties of  that  day.  Let  him  never  be  seen  frequenting  the 
Hvery  stable,  or  riding  out,  or  using  beasts  of  burden 
in  any  secular  business.  Then  will  the  light  which  is 
in  him  not  be  darkness,  tendnig  to  bewilder  and  de- 
stroy ;  but  it  may  shine  in  such  a  manner  as  to  lead  others 
to  glorify  his  Father  in  heaven.  "  Go  not  in  the  way 
of  evil  men  ;  pass  not  by  it,  turn  from  it,  and  pass 
away."  Rest  on  the  Sabbath  from  worldly  business, 
cares,  and  amusements,  and  do  what  in  you  lies  that 
the  man-servant  and  the  maid-servant,  and  all  classes, 
especially  of  laboring  people,  may  rest  also. 

"  But  may  I  not  go  from  the  city  into  the  country, 
or  the  country  into  the  city,  or  from  one  town  to 
another,  to  spend  the  Sabbath  with  ray  father's  family, 
or  the  family  of  a  friend,  and  attend  public  worship 
with  them?"  Certainly  you  may;  but  be  always 
careful,  in  such  cases,  lo  go  before  the  Sabbath  begins, 
and  not  return  till  after  it  is  ended.  Not  only  the 
using  of  horses,  but  the  using  of  the  rail-cars,  to  go 
from  the  city  to  the  country,  or  from  town  to  town, 
on  the  Sabbath,  even  if  the  passengers  do  go  to 
church  after  they  arrive,  is  a  violation  of  that  sacred 
day,  which  tends  to  injure  those  who  are  concerned 
in  it,  and  to  injure  the  public.  Be  honest  towards 
God,  and  attempt  not,  for  your  profit  or  pleasure,  to 
rob  him  of  any  portion  of  his  day. 

''But  suppose  I  am  a  butcher,  and  am  called  to 
supply  ray  custoraers  with  fresh  meat  for  breakfast 
on  Monday  morning.  May  I  not  kill  my  cattle  and 
sheep,  or  dress  them,  on  the  Sabbath,  that  my  cus- 
tomers may  have  it  early  on  Monday  morning  ?  " 
No  ;  not  if  you  would  obey  God.  Better,  vastly 
better,  would  it  be  for  all  your  customers,  if  needful, 
to  go  without  fresh  meat  on  Monday  morning,  or  be 
contented  with  what  you  can  provide  for  them  on 


72 

Saturday,  rather  than  that  you  should  kill  cattle  and 
sheep,  or  dress  them,  on  the  Sabbath.  Let  all  be 
contented  with  cold  bread  on  Monday  morning,  rather 
than  the  baker  should  desecrate  the  Sabbath  to  pro-f 
vide  them  with  warm.  As  for  newspapers,  no  man 
has  a  right  to  provide  any,  or  to  take  any,  except 
such  as  can  be  furnished  without  secular  labor  on  the 
Sabbath  day. 

The  workmen  in  printing-offices,  hakeines,  and 
butcheries,  need  the  rest  and  the  privileges  of  the 
Sabbath,  as  much  as  other  men.  They  have  as  good 
a  right  to  them.  It  is  their  duty,  and  it  would  be  for 
their  interest,  to  enjoy  them.  Employers  and  cus- 
tomers are  all  bound  so  to  arrange  their  affairs  that 
they  may  ;  and,  instead  of  hindering,  to  aid  the  work- 
men in  all  establishments  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
benefits  of  the  Sabbath.  And  where  there  is  a  will, 
there  is  a  way.  No  classes  of  workmen  are  under 
the  necessity  of  losing  the  benefits  of  the  Sabbath  ; 
and  none  will  be  found  to  be  innocent,  or,  in  the  end, 
to  be  gainers,  if  they  continue  to  consent  to  do  so. 

As  to  ARRANGEMENTS  IN  FAMILIES,  thc  NAVIGATING  OP 

SHIPS  on  the  ocean,  or  the  conducting  of  any  concerns 
required  by  necessary  acts  of  mercy,  and  by  the 
duties  of  the  Sabbath,  or  which  are  permitted  by  the 
Sabbath  law,  no  labor  should  be  done  except  what  is 
needful. 

Steamboats  which  leave  a  city  in  the  evening,  to 
arrive  at  another  city  in  the  morning,  should,  on 
Saturday,  leave  in  the  morning,  and  arrive  in  the 
evening.  Families,  if  they  have  not  in  the  house  all 
needful  supplies,  should  provide  them  on  Saturday. 
For  Monday  morning,  they  should  be  contented  with 
what  they  have,  and  what  can  be  provided  for  them 
before  the  beginning  and  after  the  close  of  the  Sab- 
bath. They  should  not  even  covet,  or  be  willing  to 
receive,  what  cannot  be  furnished  but  by  the  desecra- 


tion  of  that  day,  and  by  depriving  others  habitually 
of  its  sacred  enjoyments. 

*'  But  there  is  one  kind  of  employment,"  it  is  said, 
"in  which  men  must  break  the  Sabbath,  namely,  the 
taking  of  whales.  The  owners  give  directions  to 
the  captains  to  take  whales  whenever  and  wherever 
they  can  find  them.  If  captains  of  whale  ships 
should  not  follow  the  directions  of  owners,  they  would 
not  be  able  to  obtain  employment.  Omitting  to  take 
whales  on  the  Sabbath  would  make  the  voyage  one 
seventh  part  longer.  The  crews  are  absent  a  long 
time  from  their  families,  and  ought  to  return  as  soon 
as  they  can.  They  often  go  for  a  long  time  without 
seeing  whales  ;  and,  when  they  do  see  them,  should 
they  not  take  them,  the  crews  would  become  uneasy 
and  mutinous.  If  they  do  not  take  whales  on  the 
Sabbath,  the  sailors  would  be  engaged  in  something 
worse.  The  Lord  would  not  suffer  them  to  see  whales 
on  the  Sabbath,  unless  he  designed  that  they  should 
take  them,"  etc.,  etc. 

These  reasons,  and  all  others,  may  be  set  aside  by 
one  consideration,  namely,  ''  Thus  saith  the  Lord ; 
Six  days  shalt  thou  labor,  and  do  all  thy  work." 
But  "  Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy  ; 
in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work."  Nor  is  obedience 
to  this  command,  in  the  whaling  business,  imprac- 
ticable. A  number  of  captains  and  crews  have  tried 
it.  They  have  taken  no  whales  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
yet  ordinarily  have  obtained  as  much  oil,  and  pros- 
pered as  well,  on  the  whole,  as  those  who  have  dese- 
crated that  day. 

Captain  Scoresby,  of  the  British  navy,  who  was 
afterwards  commander  of  a  whale  ship  in  the  northern 
seas,  tried  it  for  a  course  of  years,  and  was  especially 
prospered.  He  states,  in  his  journal,  that  he  does  not 
recollect  a  case  in  which  they  saw  whales  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  yet  did  not  attempt  to  take  them,  where 


H 

they  were  not  remarkably  successful  during  the  sub- 
sequent week.  And  although  the  sailors  at  first, 
when  they  saw  a  whale  on  the  Sabbath,  could  hardly 
be  restrained  from  making  efforts  to  take  it,  yet  after- 
wards, they  not  only  were  entirely  willing  to  refrain, 
but  were  in  high  glee  whenever  they  saw  one  on  the 
Sabbath,  because,  from  the  facts,  they  expected  after- 
wards to  be  greatly  prospered. 

The  owners,  instead  of  giving  directions  to  their 
captains  to  take  whales  whenever  they  can  find  them, 
can  say,  as  men  do  with  regard  to  other  worldly 
employments,  "  Sundays  excepted."  Captains  and 
crews  can  agree,  when  they  are  engaged,  not  to  work 
on  the  Sabbath ;  and  all  concerned  be  contented,  as 
in  other  employments,  with  what  they  can  obtain  in 
keeping  the  commands  of  God.  Nor  is  it  by  any 
means  certain  that  they  will  be  out  any  longer,  or  be 
in  any  respect  less  successful. 

Captain  John  Stetson,  an  experienced  shipmaster, 
and  late  consular  agent  at  the  Sandwich  Islands,  says, 
^'  We  are  far  from  believing  that  any  man  can  be  a 
loser  by  the  keeping  of  the  commands  of  God.     We 

well  remember    the    trial   of   Captain ,  after  his 

conversion.  He  felt  the  requirements  of  God  to  be 
as  binding  upon  him  as  upon  men  on  shore.  He 
called  his  ship's  company  together,  and  informed  them 
of  his  views.     They  agreed  to  give  up  whaling  on 

the  Sabbath.     The  next  Sabbath,  while  Captain 

was  preparing  for  the  forenoon  service,  a  man  on  deck 
called  out, '  There  she  blows  !  '  It  was  a  large  whale, 
which  passed  near  the  ship  very  slowly.  They, 
however,  did  not  lower  the  boats,  but  devoted  the  day 
to  the  worship  of  God.  The  next  day  every  eye  was 
strained  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  whale,  but  in  vain. 
The  week  passed  away,  without  seeing  any.  The 
Sabbath  came,  and  a  whale  was  again  seen.  Some 
of  the  crew  were  desirous  of  going  in  pursuit,  but 
the  captain  was  firm.     Another  week  passed  away, 


75 

and  no  whales.  The  third  Sabbath  came,  and  again 
they  saw  whales.  The  crew  became  clamorous,  and 
almost  mutinous  ;  but  the  captain  assured  them  they 
were  in  the  path  of  duty,  and  went  on  with  his  reli- 
gious services.  This  was  the  last  trial.  They  soon 
obtained  all  the  oil  they  wanted,  and  returned  in 
much  less  time  than  many  who  took  whales  on  the 
Sabbath.  A  number  of  other  instances  misrht  be 
cited,  illustrating  the  fact  that  God  can  and  does  bless 
those  who  keep  his  commandments." 

An  instance  is  stated  by  the  mate  of  a  whale  ship, 
in  which  the  captain  had  been  out  but  a  short  time 
before  he  repeatedly  saw  whales  on  the  Sabbath, 
seeing  none  on  any  other  day.  He  did  not  attempt 
to  take  them.  Soon  he  fell  in  with  other  ships  that 
had  been  out  no  longer  than  he  had,  and  yet  had 
hundreds  of  barrels  of  oil,  much  of  which  was  taken 
on  the  Sabbath.  He  had  none.  After  a  time  he  saw 
a  whale  on  Monday,  and  took  it.  He  saw  no  more 
whales,  after  that,  on  the  Sabbath,  but  was  very  suc- 
cessful at  other  times.  He  filled  his  vessel,  and  re- 
turned months  before  those  who  sailed  when  he  did, 
and  took  whales  on  the  Sabbath. 

Captain  Green,  of  England,  who  refrained  from 
taking  whales  on  the  Sabbath,  stated  that  he  had 
never  seen  a  whale  on  that  day,  when  he  did  not  see 
it  again,  or  some  other,  on  the  following  day. 

A  captain  from  Massachusetts,  who  long  followed 
the  business  of  whaling,  took  no  whales  on  the  Sab- 
bath. Yet  he  was  considered  a  very  successful  com- 
mander ;  and  his  services  were  eagerly  sought  for  by 
owners  of  ships.  His  death,  which  lately  occurred, 
was  not  only  peaceful,  but  triumphant  and  glorious. 
"  Never,"  said  an  old  friend  of  his,  "  did  I  see  such  a 
triumphant  death  before." 

As  to  the  reason  given,  that  the  Lord  would  not 
permit  sailors  to  see  whales  on  the  Sabbath,  unless  it 
were  his  will  that  they  should  attempt  to  take  them, 

No.  4.  7 


76 

they  might  as  well  say,  that  the  Lord  would  not 
suffer  them  to  see  their  neighbor's  property,  unless  it 
were  his  will  that  they  should  steal  it.  He  suffers 
men  to  be  tempted  to  do  wrong,  for  a  far  different 
purpose  than  that  they  should  yield  to  the  temptation. 
"Let  no  man  say,  when  he  is  tempted,  I  am  tempted 
of  God.  for  God  cannot  be  tempted  of  evil ;  neither 
tempteth  he  any  man."  The  fact  is,  whenever  a  man 
does  wrong,  "he  is  drawn  away  of  his  own  lust,  and 
enticed."  And  it  is  lust,  which,  when  it  hath  con- 
ceived, "bringeth  forth  sin.  And  sin,"  knowingly 
and  presumptuously  continued  in,  will,  "  when  it  is 
finished,  bring  forth  death."  When  Jehovah  com- 
manded, "  Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy," 
he  made  no  exception  with  regard  to  the  busi?iess  of 
whaling.  If  men  would  obey  him,  and  meet  his 
approbation,  they  must  make  none,  but  must  rest  on 
the  Sabbath,  and  require  all  in  their  employment,  and 
under  their  control,  also  to  rest  from  their  labors  on 
that  day. 

It  is  also  needful,  in  order  to  enjoy  the  full  benefit 
of  the  Sabbath,  that  persons  should  not  indulge  in 

SECULAR    READING,   CONVERSATION,    OR    CONTEMPLATION. 

The  mind,  as  well  as  the  body,  must  rest  from  world- 
ly employments.  It  was  with  reference  to  the  soul 
peculiarily  that  the  Sabbath  was  made  and  given  to 
men  ;  and  to  keep  it  in  a  proper  manner,  the  mind 
must  not  be  occupied  with  secular  concerns.  The 
merchant  may  violate  the  Sabbath  as  really  by  the 
reading  of  secular  newspapers,  the  planning  of  suc- 
cessful voyages,  or  the  contemplation  of  worldly 
gains,  as  his  neighbor  who  is  selling  wheat  or  goods. 
The  student  may  violate  it  by  getting  his  lesson  ;  the 
lawyer  by  studying  his  case,  consulting  his  authori- 
ties, or  making  out  his  brief.  The  farmer  may  vio- 
late the  Sabbath,  by  walking  out  in  his  fields,  and 
contemplating  his  crops  ;  the  physician,  by  visiting 


77 

his  patients  ;  and  the  clergyman,  by  riding  to  a  dis- 
tant town  on  an  exchange,  when  the  case  does  not 
require  it,  the  providence  of  God  does  not  call  for  it, 
and  the  law  of  God  does  not  permit  it. 

That  there  are  cases  when  it  may  be  needful,  and 
be  an  act  of  mercy  and  of  piety,  for  a  physician  to 
visit  his  patient,  a  man  his  sick  neighbor,  or  for  a 
minister  to  ride  some  distance  to  preach  the  gospel, 
we  do  not  deny.  It  is  not  of  such  cases  that  we 
speak,  but  of  cases  where  the  visiting,  or  the  riding  on 
the  Sabbath,  is  not  called  for  by  the  providence  of  God, 
but  may  be  more  usefully  done  on  the  previous  day. 

With  regard  to  the  practice  of  some  ministers,  who 
ride  from  town  to  town  on  the  Sabbath,  to  exchange 
MINISTERIAL  LABORS  with  their  brethren,  the  follow- 
ing thoughts  are  submitted  for  serious  consideration. 
Some,  when  they  exchange,  go,  or  return,  or  both,  on 
the  Sabbath  ;  others  conscientiously  avoid  this.  When 
they  exchange  out  of  town,  they  go  on  Saturday,  and 
return  on  Monday.  Many  Christians  have  expressed 
deep  regret  at  the  practice  of  the  former,  and  an  ar- 
dent desire  that  all  would  imitate  the  latter.  They 
think  it  would  be  more  useful,  for  the  following  rea- 
sons, among  others  ;  namely, — 

1.  It  would  be  more  satisfactory  to  the  great  body 
of  enlightened  and  conscientious  men.  This  is  evi- 
dent from  their  frequent  remarks  on  the  subject,  the 
deep  regrets  which  they  express  at  the  practice  of 
which  we  speak,  and  their  desire  that  it  may  be 
changed.  They  apprehend  that  it  tends  to  break 
down  the  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath  in  the  minds  of  the 
people,  to  lead  them  less  sacredly  to  regard  it,  and 
furnishes  occasion  to  Sabbath-breakers  to  excuse  them- 
selves in  going  from  town  to  town,  to  hear  a  favorite 
preacher,  or  to  be  employed  in  some  other  way; 
while  it  lessens  the  influence  of  the  minister  in  pro- 
moting the  due  observance  of  the  day. 

A  respectable  minister  starts  on  Sabbath  morning 


78 

from  the  town  in  which  he  lives,  to  ride  ten  miles  to 
another  town.  After  proceeding  about  six  miles,  he 
sees  a  man  at  his  door  chopping  wood.  He  is  fired 
with  holy  zeal,  and  instinctively  turns  up  his  horse, 
and  says,  "  Friend,  have  you  forgotten  that  it  is  the 
Sabbath  day  ?  "  "  No,  sir."  ''  You  must  be  aware 
that  you  are  doing  wrong.  It  is  wicked  to  emjiloy 
this  holy  day  in  chopping  wood."  "And  pray,  sir," 
says  the  man,  "  what  are  you  doing,  in  journeying  on 
the  Sabbath  ?  "  He  does  not  know  that  the  man  is 
a  minister,  and  the  minister  does  not  like  to  tell  him  ; 
for  he  might  say,  ''  If  a  minister  may  ride  ten  or  a 
dozen  miles,  and  occupy,  in  this  way,  two  hours  of 
holy  time,  I  may  occupy  half  an  hour  in  chopping 
wood."     However,  the  minister  musters  up  courage, 

and  says,  "  I  am  going  to to  preach  the  gospel  to 

those  who  will  otherwise  be  destitute."  "And  I," 
says  the  man,  "  am  chopping  wood  for  my  family, 
who  will  otherwise,  on  this  cold  day,  be  destitute." 
"  But  why  did  you  not  chop  your  wood  on  Saturday  ?  " 
"  Sure  enough,"  says  the  man  ;  "  and  why  did  you 
not  do  your  riding  on  Saturday  ?  " 

"  Had  I  passed  on,"  said  the  minister  who  was 
once  found  in  a  situation  like  the  above,  "  that  man 
would  not  have  known  that  I  was  a  minister ;  and, 
thinking  he  was  no  worse  than  I,  would  have  felt 
supported  in  his  Sabbath-breaking."  "  Yes,"  said 
the  friend  to  whom  he  related  this  case,  "  and  perhaps 
your  telling  him  that  you  were  a  minister  did  not 
altogether  prevent  that  effect."  "  So  I  thought,"  said 
the  other ;  "  and  I  resolved  never  to  be  seen  again 
riding  from  town  to  town  on  the  Sabbath."  Would 
it  not  be  well  for  all  ministers  to  make  a  similar  reso- 
lution ;  and  not  to  exchange  with  their  brethren  in 
other  towns,  except  in  cases  where  they  can  go  and 
return  without  taking  for  the  journey  any  part  of  the 
Sabbath  ? 

A  man  spent  his  Sabbaths  in  tending  a  ferry,  to  the 


79 

neglect  of  public  worship,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
making  money.  His  friend  admonished  him  that  it 
was  not  right,  that  it  injured  himself  and  his  family, 
and  exhorted  him  to  attend  public  worship.  He  said 
he  could  not  do  it ;  he  must  be  there  to  take  over  the 

Rev.  Mr. when  he  went  to  exchange.     ''  I  heard 

of  that,"  said  the    Rev.  Mr.  , ''  and  I  resolved, 

whenever  I  exchanged  in  future,  to  go  on  Saturday. 
I  have  since  adhered  to  this  resolution.  And,  having 
tried  both  ways,  I  am  satisfied  that  the  last  is  the 
best."  Let  all  ministers  of  the  gospel  try  it,  and  see 
if  their  experience  will  not  accord  with  his. 

"  But,"  says  a  minister,  "  I  cannot  spend  the  time 
to  go  on  Saturday."  Then  is  it  not  improper  to  take 
the  Lord's  time  ?  ''  But  I  wish  a  part  of  the  Sabbath 
to  be  with  my  family."  Then  is  it  not  wrong  to 
spend  any  part  of  it  in  journeying  to  another  town  ? 
Would  it  not  be  better  that  your  brother's  family, 
whenever  you  do  exchange,  should  have  all  the  benefit 
of  your  good  example  with  them  through  the  whole 
of  the  Sabbath  ;  and  let  him  come  to  your  house  on 
Saturday,  and  give  to  your  family  the  benefit  of  his 
instruction  and  example  through  the  whole  of  the 
day  ?  Your  example,  it  is  thought,  would,  in  that 
case,  be  more  safe  and  salutary  to  your  family  and  to 
your  people.  If  it  is  useful  for  you  to  ride  to  a  dis- 
tant town  to  preach,  your  people  may  think  it  useful 
for  them  to  ride  as  far  to  hear  you,  provided  they  like 
to  hear  you  better  than  they  do  the  man  with  whom 
you  exchange  ;  or,  if  they  think  his  preaching  will 
do  them  more  good  than  yours,  they  may  ride  on  the 
Sabbath  to  hear  him,  when  you  do  not  exchange.  If 
the  minister  may  ride  out  of  his  parish  on  the  Sab- 
bath once  a  month,  his  young  people  may  think  that 
they  may  do  so  once  a  fortnight,  or  once  a  week : 
imagining  that  they  may  do  weekly,  without  great 
guilt,  what  he  may  do  monthly. 

2.  Another  reason  why  ministers  should  go,  when 
7* 


80 

practicable,  on  Saturday,  rather  than  on  the  Sabbath, 
is,  that  they  will  be  more  likely  to  be  "  in  the  Spirit 
on  the  Lord's  day."  In  going  from  one's  lodging- 
place,  from  the  closet  and  the  family  to  the  pulpit, 
the  minister  will  be  more  likely  to  be  in  a  spiritual 
frame  of  mind,  than  after  riding  from  town  to  town, 
amidst  the  miscellaneous  variety  of  objects  which 
may  occupy  his  attention.  His  hearers,  also,  in  see- 
ing him  arrive  from  a  distance,  or  knowing  that  he 
has  occupied  the  morning  in  riding,  will  be  less  likely 
to  be  favorably  impressed  and  spiritually  benefited 
by  his  preaching,  than  if  they  knew  he  had  come 
from  his  place  of  morning  devotion  and  communion 
with  God.  Facts,  it  is  believed,  justify  the  conclu- 
sion, and  observation  will  confirm  and  extend  it,  that 
the  ministers  who  travel  most  on  the  Sabbath,  are  the 
least  likely,  in  their  exchanges,  to  do  good. 

A  minister  who  was  travelling,  came,  on  Saturday 
afternoon,  to  a  very  uninviting  place,  and  stopped  for 
the  Sabbath.  He  made  his  way  from  the  steamboat 
up  to  a  rum-tavern,  the  only  one  in  the  place.  The 
villagers  were  assembled,  carousing  in  the  bar-room, 
and  it  was  rumored  among  them  that  a  preacher  had 
stopped  there.  Many  wondered  how  he  came  to  stop. 
It  was  replied,  because  he  would  not  travel  on  the 
Sabbath.  On  hearing  that,  a  man  said,  "  No  doubt 
he  is  a  good  man  ;  a  man  of  principle.  We  had  bet- 
ter have  a  meeting  to-morrow,  and  hear  him  preach. 
I  presume  he  will  preach  well."  No  such  conclusion 
would  have  been  drawn,  had  he  come  there  in  the 
stage,  on  the  steamboat,  or  in  the  rail-car,  or  even  on 
his  own  horse,  on  the  Sabbath.  No  one  would  have 
presumed,  from  that  fact,  that  he  was  a  good  man,  or 
that  it  would  be  very  desirable  to  hear  him  preach, 
though  it  were  known  that  he  came  only  from  the 
next  town  ;  especially  if  it  were  known,  also,  that  he 
might  have  come  the  day  before.  The  Sabbath  com- 
mends itself   to  the  conscience  ;    and  even  wicked 


H 

men  know  that  all,  especially  professors  of  religion, 
and  most  of  all,  iniriisters  of  the  gospel,  should  keep 
it  holy.  The  more  conscientiously  and  habitually 
they  do  this,  even  if  it  be  at  some  sacrifice,  the  great- 
er will  be  their  influence  for  good  upon  their  fellow- 
men.  This  is  an  important  reason  why  ministers 
who  exchange  should  not  go  from  town  to  town  on 
the  Sabbath.  Conscience  takes  the  side  of  the  Sab- 
bath. An  enlightened  man  not  only  condemns  others 
when  they  violate  it,  but  also  condemns  himself. 

A  steamboat  came  up  from  Cincinnati,  and  got  into 
Wheeling  on  Saturday  night.  A  man  on  board  told 
his  friend  he  should  stop  there,  and  keep  the  Sabbath, 
though  the  boat  was  going  on  to  Pittsburg,  and,  if 
not  hindered,  would  arrive  there  the  next  day.  He 
thought  they  had  both  better  stop ;  they  could  then 
attend  church ;  and,  on  Monday,  should  another  boat 
pass,  they  could  take  that  ;  and,  if  not,  they  could 
take  the  stage,  go  to  Cumberland,  and  there  take  the 
rail-car.  He  had  travelled  much,  and  had  found  that 
men  who  stop  on  the  Sabbath  seem  to  get  along,  on 
the  whole,  quite  as  well  as  those  who  travel.  At  any 
rate,  he  should  stop.  His  friend  appeared  almost  per- 
suaded to  stop  also.  He  seemed  to  know  that  it  was 
right  ;  but  he  was  "  peculiarly  situated."  Every  en- 
lightened man  who  would  break  the  Sabbath,  must, 
to  satisfy  either  himself  or  others,  make  out  that  he  is 
"peculiarly  situated."  Conscience  takes  the  side  of 
the  Sabbath.  He  must  show  that  his  case  is  an  ex- 
ception to  the  rule,  or  condemn  himself.  What,  in 
this  man's  case,  was  the  peculiarity  ?  He  had  his 
family  with  him,  coming  over  from  the  west,  after 
long  absence,  to  see  old  friends  at  the  east.  That 
was  a  reason  why  he  should  stop  and  keep  holy  the 
Sabbath,  and  thus  set  a  good  example  to  his  family, 
rather  than  a  reason  why  he  should  travel.  But  it 
would  cost  more.  True,  it  might.  Sometimes  it 
does,  and    sometimes  it  does  not.      But    suppose    it 


83 

should.  God  did  not  say,  Remember  the  Sabbath 
day  to  keep  it  holy,  unless  it  will  cost  more  ;  and  why 
should  any  man  act  as  if  he  had  said  this  ? 

There  are  two  things  which  no  man  should  ever 
forget.  One  is,  we  have  no  right  to  obtai?i  any  more 
money  than  we  can  by  obeyijig  God.  The  other  iSj 
when  we  have  obtained  money,  we  have  no  right,  and 
it  is  not  tvise,  to  keep  any  more  than  we  can  and  keep 
holy  the  Sabbath.  All  the  money  which  the  proper 
keeping  of  the  Sabbath  requires,  should  go  freely.  It 
is  a  good  investment ;  and  yields  often  thirty,  sixty, 
and  even  a  hundred  fold.  Nor  can  any  thing  valua- 
ble be  ultimately  gained  by  doing  what  a  man  knows 
to  be  wrong. 

But  that  man  seemed  to  forget  this,  and  he  went 
on.  On  Sabbath  morning,  that  beautiful  morning, 
one  of  those  sweet  little  children  fell  overboard  and 
was  drowned.  In  the  course  of  the  week,  after  the  fa- 
ther got  over  to  Pennsylvania,  he  met  the  friend  who 
stopped  at  Wheeling  and  kept  the  Sabbath.  O,  said 
he,  /  did  wrong  at  Wheeling.  I  ought  to  have  stopped^ 
as  you  did,  a?id  kept  the  Sabbath.  But  I  went  on,  and 
I  have  lost  my  child.  He  might  have  lost  his  child,  if 
he  had  stopped.  Men  that  do  right  sometimes  lose  their 
children,  and  it  is  very  trying.  But  it  is  much  more 
trying,  for  a  father  to  lose  a  child  in  doing  what  he 
knows  to  be  wrong,  as  this  father  deeply  felt,  and  as 
every  father  similarly  situated  would  feel.  The  spirit 
of  a  man,  when  sound,  will  sustain  his  infirmity  ;  but 
a  wounded  spirit  who  can  bear  ?  There  is  no  safety  but 
in  doing  right.  That  fear  of  the  Lord  which  leads  a 
man  to  do  his  duty,  whatever  it  may  cost  him,  is  not 
only  the  beginning,  but  also  the  perfection  of  wisdom. 
It  is  the  surest  way  to  the  highest  ultimate  good.  It 
is  the  best  policy  in  this  world,  and  will  bring  the 
most  gracious  and  glorious  reward  in  the  world  to 
come. 


83 

Probably  no  enlightened  minister,  after  riding  from 
town  to  town,  to  exchange  on  the  Sabbath,  when  he 
might  have  gone  on  Saturday,  feels  best  prepared  to 
preach  most  effectively  from  the  text,  "  Remember  the 
Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy."  Seldom,  in  such  a 
case,  wonld  a  minister  take  that  text.  If  he  should, 
and  then,  in  view  of  the  congregation,  after  meeting, 
ride  home  on  the  Sabbath,  he  would  not  be  likely  to 
do  much  good.  Many  a  wicked  man,  if  not  now  and 
then  a  good  man,  would  say,  '"Physician,  heal  thy- 
self.' Thou  that  preachest  that  other  men  should  not 
break  the  Sabbath,  dost  thou  break  it  ?  " 

"  But  I  go  to  preach  ;  "  and  says  another  man,  '-I 
go  to  hear." 

"  But  you  might  and  ought  to  hear  at  home."  '<  And 
might  not  you,  reverend  sir,  preach  at  home  ?  You 
did  not  return  home,  after  meeting,  to  preach." 

''  No  ;  that  was  to  be  with  my  family."  ''  And  I," 
says  the  other,  "  after  finishing  my  business,  rode 
home,  on  the  Sabbath,  to  be  with  iny  family." 

The  keeper  of  a  livery  stable,  in  speaking  about 
letting   horses  on   the  Sabbath,  said,  "It  is  bad,  very 

bad,  but  it  is  difficult  to  avoid  it.     The  Rev.  Mr. 

came  the  other  Sabbath  morning  to  get  a  horse  and 
buggy  to  go  seventeen  miles  to  preach,  and  it  would 
not  answer  to  refuse  him.  And  if  I  let  him  have  a 
horse,    I   must   let  the  factory  people   have    horses. 

They  say  they  go  to to  attend  meeting.     Some 

do,  perhaps,  and  some  do  not.  I  cannot  discriminate, 
and  it  is  very  bad." 

If  the  keeper  of  that  livery  stable  were  to  receive 
nothing  for  his  horses  on  the  Sabbath,  he  could  avoid 

the  difficulty.     He  would  say  to  the  Rev.  Mr. , 

when  he  wants  a  horse  to  ride  seventeen  miles  on 
Sabbath  morning, ''  I  should  be  very  happy  to  accom- 
modate you,  if  I  could  consistently  do  it.  But  if  I 
let  horses  to  you  on  the  Sabbath,  I  must  to  other 
people,  especially  those  Avho  say  they  are  going  to 


84 

to  attend  public  worship.     I  cannot  discriminate. 

Besides,  my  horses  have  to  work  all  the  week,  and  it 
would  be  wrong  to  work  them  on  the  Sabbath.  God 
forbids  it ;  the  good  of  the  community  forbids  it. 
My  men  and  myself  wish  to  keep  the  Sabbath, 
and  I  must  be  excused  from  letting  horses.  Come 
any  other  day,  Mr. ,  and  I  will  gladly  accom- 
modate you.  If  you  wish  for  a  horse  to  ride  any 
distance  to  exchange,  come  on  Saturday,  and  I  will 
never  refuse  you." 

A  certain  minister,  who  often  exchanged  with  his 
brethren,  would  not  be  absent  from  his  family  either 
the  night  before  or  the  night  after  the  Sabbath.  He 
ordinarily  rode  from  one  town  to  another  in  the 
morning,  and  returned  in  the  evening.  Yet  his 
family  did  not  do  any  better  than  the  families  of  those 
ministers  who  were  not  accustomed  to  ride  on  the 
Sabbath.  And  if  you  observe  the  families  of  those 
ministers  who  have  been  most  accustomed  to  this 
practice,  you  will  find  that  they  do  not  appear  to  have 
benefited  their  families.  They  do  not  keep  the  Sab- 
bath any  better,  and  the  influence  of  those  ministers, 
in  promoting  the  due  observance  of  that  day,  seems 
to  have  been  lessened. 

To  be  most  useful,  ministers  of  the  gospel,  espe-* 
cially,  must  avoid  not  only  the  reality,  but  also  "  the 
appearance  "  of  evil ;  be  careful  that  they  give  no 
occasion  for  their  good  to  be  evil  spoken  of;  much 
more,  that  they  do  not,  for  the  Scike  of  good,  do  evil. 

These  principles  extend  not  only  to  their  riding 
from  town  to  town  on  the  Sabbath,  but  also  to  their 
conversation  and  deportment  in  the  families  where 
they  stay.  If  they  are  seen  reading  secular  books, 
periodicals,  or  papers,  literary,  scientific,  or  tasteful 
merely,  or  are  heard  conversing  upon  general,  worldly 
topics,  their  example,  especially  to  the  young,  will  be 
pernicious.  The  more  estimable  and  interesting  their 
character  in  other  respects,  the  greater  will  be  the 


85 

evil  which,  by  such  a  course,  they  may  occasion.  As 
dead  flies  cause  the  ointment  of  the  apothecary  to 
send  forth  an  offensive  savor,  so  doth  a  little  folly  him 
that  is  had  in  reputation  for  wisdom  and  honor.  The 
more  conspicuous  a  man's  character,  and  the  greater 
his  influence,  the  greater  the  importance  that  he 
should  in  all  respects  set  an  example  which  may  be 
safely  followed,  and  which  will  in  the  highest  de- 
gree be  useful  to  those  Avho  shall  imitate  it.  And  to 
no  subject  does  this  more  strikingly  apply  than  to  the 
keeping  of  the  Sabbath,  and  to  no  class  of  people 
more  than  to  ministers  of  the  gospel.  They  are  set 
for  the  defence  of  the  truth,  and  their  lives  should 
be  a  living  exhibition  of  it.  On  few  things  does  the 
state  of  their  own  minds,  the  influence  of  their  char- 
acter, or  the  efl"ect  of  their  labors  more  depend,  than 
on  the  manner  in  which  they  spend  holy  time. 

This  applies  also  to  other  Christians,  and  to  all 
persons.  There  is,  in  the  providence  of  God,  an  in- 
timate connection,  and  one  much  more  influential  than 
is  generally  supposed,  between  the  state  of  mind 
which  is  cultivated,  the  habits  of  thought  and  feeling 
which  are  indulged,  and  the  courses  of  conversation 
and  conduct  which  are  followed  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
the  condition  of  a  person  and  the  objects  which  he 
will  accomplish  during  the  week.  To  experience  its 
highest  benefits,  the  day  must  be  treated  as  the  day 
OF  THE  Lord,  a  day  to  be  peculiarly  and  openly  con- 
secrated to  him.  The  mind,  as  well  as  the  body, 
must  be  withdrawn  from  earthly  pursuits,  and  must 
be  employed  in  those  concerns  which  have  reference 
to  God  and  to  heaven,  and  which  tend  to  prepare  men 
to  be  partakers  of  its  employments  and  joys. 

Of  course,  prayer,  private,  social,  and  public,  must 
form  a  part,  and  an  important  part,  of  the  employ- 
ments of  the  Sabbath.  All  those  who  would  expe- 
rience its  highest  benefits  must  pray  especially  for  the 


86 

teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  dependence  on  Jesus 
Christ,  and  for  the  purpose  of  learning  and  doing  his 
will. 

The  study  of  the  Scriptures  is  also  an  employment 
eminently  suited  to  the  objects  of  the  Sabbath.  The 
day  of  God  is  peculiarly  the  time  to  study  the  word 
of  God,  and  become  more  acquainted  with  his  char- 
acter and  will,  with  his  commands,  his  promises,  his 
threatenings,  and  their  fulfilment  ;  and  with  the 
evidence  which  he  has  furnished  that,  when  the  word 
has  gone  out  of  his  mouth,  it  staudeth  forever.  This 
is  the  time,  and  this  is  the  way,  through  grace,  to  in- 
spire and  strengthen  confidence  in  God,  to  awaken 
and  increase  love  to  him,  and  in  feelings  and  wishes 
and  eff"orts  to  become  like  him,  and  thus  be  fitted  for 
every  good  work. 

Without  prayer  and  the  study  of  the  Scriptures, 
no  person  will  be  likely  rightly  to  keep  the  Sabbath, 
or  to  experience  its  highest  benefits.  The  Bible 
must  be  read  with  attention  on  other  days  ;  but  on 
this  it  should  be  studied.  In  producing  divine  effects 
upon  the  soul,  the  Lord  will  magnify  his  word  above 
all  his  name.  "  The  entrance  of  thy  word  giveth 
light;  it  giveth  understanding  to  the  simple."  "I 
have  more  understanding  than  all  my  teachers,  for  thy 
testimonies  are  my  meditation.''^  That  employment 
of  mind  which  the  Psalmist  here  designates  as  medi- 
tation on  the  testimonies  of  God,  is,  of  all  exercises 
upon  the  Sabbath,  among  the  most  useful.  It  is  the 
means  of  life  to  the  soul.  By  it  God  quickens,  illu- 
minates, and  purifies.  ''  Through  thy  precepts  I  get 
understanding  ;  therefore  I  hate  every  false  way." 
''  I  understand  more  than  the  ancients,  because  I  keep 
thy  precepts."  Never,  till  a  person  tries  it,  will  he 
know  the  full  benefits  of  treating  the  Sabbath  as  the 
day  of  God,  of  studying  the  Bible  as  the  word  of 
God,  in  order  to  understand  the  mind,  apprehend  the 
heart,  and  be  changed  into  the  image  of  God.   Sweet, 


87 

then,  will  his  Avords  be  to  the  taste  ;  sweeter  than 
honey,  even  the  honey-comb.  The  Sabbath  will  be 
the  most  delightful  of  all  days.  Its  influence  for 
good  on  the  body  and  the  soul  will  be  most  happy 
during  the  whole  week,  and  in  all  the  relations  and 
duties  of  life.  Evidence  will  shine  out  like  the  sun, 
that,  while  the  day  belongs  to  God,  it  was  made  by 
him  for  man ;  and  that  in  the  keeping  of  it  holy  there 
is  great  reward. 

Other  books,  especially  those  which  aid  us  in  rightly 
understanding  the  Bible  and  imbibing  its  spirit,  may 
to  advantage  occupy  a  portion  of  attention  on  that 
day.  Conversation,  also,  on  subjects  and  in  a  manner 
adapted  to  promote  the  same  ends,  will  be  found  to  be 
useful.  Children  and  others  should  he  instructed  in 
the  principles  and  precepts  of  religion,  and  in  the 
duties  which  they  owe  to  God,  to  themselves,  and 
their  fellow-men,  and  such  methods  be  taken  as  are 
best  suited  to  interest  them  and  promote  their  highest 
good. 

To  experience  the  full  benefits  of  the  Sabbath, 
persons  who  have  opportunity  must  also  habitually 
attend  public  worship.  This  is  an  ordinance  of 
God,  sanctioned  by  the  example  of  Christ,  and  the 
duty  of  observing  it  was  taught  in  the  preaching,  and 
exemplified  in  the  practice,  of  the  apostles.  It  is  a 
duty,  the  performance  of  which  is  essential  to  the 
honor  of  God,  and  the  highest  good  of  men  ;  reason- 
able in  its  nature,  and  most  beneficial  in  its  effects. 
No  one  who  voluntarily  and  habitually  neglects  it, 
ever  properly  keeps  the  Sabbath,  or  experiences  its 
highest  and  best  eff'ects. 

But  a  man  says,  "  I  have  the  Bible  and  good  books  ; 
I  can  read  at  home  ;  I  can  meditate  on  divine  things, 
and  be  more  benefited  than  by  hearing  preaching." 
That  might  be,  if  preaching  were  not  the  appoint- 
ment of  God,  and  attended  with  his  blessing.     But, 

No.  4.  8 


88 

as  it  is,  no  one  can  most  honor  him  and  benefit  him- 
self by  neglecting  it.  *'  Go  ye  into  all  the  world," 
he  says  to  his  ministers,  "  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature."  If  it  is  their  duty  to  obey  him  and 
to  preach  to  all,  it  is  the  duty  of  all  who  have  oppor- 
tunity to  hear.  That  faith  which  is  the  gift  of  God, 
which  purifies  the  heart,  which  works  by  love,  and 
overcomes  the  world,  through  the  grace  and  accord- 
ing to  the  appointment  of  God,  comes  by  hearing  the 
word  of  God  read,  explained,  illustrated,  and  applied 
by  his  ministers,  whom  he  hath  sent  forth  for  the 
purpose  of  warning  every  man,  and  teaching  every 
man,  that  they  may  thus  present  them  perfect  in 
Christ  Jesus. 

Were  it  true  in  any  particular  case,  that  an  indi- 
vidual might  benefit  himself  as  much  by  taking  his 
own  way  as  by  following  the  divine  appointment, 
still  he  could  not  as  much  honor  God,  or  benefit  his 
fellow-men.  His  example  would  be  bad  ;  one  which 
tends  to  destroy  public  worship,  and  deprive  the  world 
of  its  benefits.  If  one  may  stay  at  home,  another 
may,  and  another,  all  may  ;  seeking  each  one  his  own 
in  his  own  way,  not  the  things  of  God  in  the  ways 
of  his  appointment.  But  the  truth  is,  their  own 
highest  good  can  never,  in  reality,  be  permanently 
promoted,  except  by  the  promotion  of  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  good  of  their  fellow-men.  It  was  with  special 
reference  to  the  public  worship  of  God  that  the  Sab- 
bath was  appointed  ;  and  attendance  upon  it,  and  en- 
gagedness  in  its  duties,  are  essential  in  order  rightly 
and  most  usefully  to  keep  it  holy,  because  it  is  by  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel  peculiarly  that  God  saves 
those  who  believe.  Not  that  the  hearers  are  to 
ground  their  faith  upon  the  declarations  of  the  minis- 
ter. But,  while  they  are  to  hear  him,  and  unite  with 
the  congregation  in  public  worship,  they  are  to  prove 
all  things,  and  hold  fast  that  Avhich  is  good.  For 
this  purpose  they  are  to  search  the   Scriptures  as  the 


89 

only  infallible  standard,  and  by  them  are  to  judge  of 
the  preaching  which  they  hear,  and  receive  or  reject 
it,  as  it  agrees  with,  or  is  opposed  to,  the  word  of  God. 
This  is  a  reason  why  they  are,  on  the  Sabbath,  to 
study  the  Scriptures,  and  become  acquainted  with 
their  contents,  that  by  them  they  may  be  able  to 
judge  correctly  of  what  they  hear,  to  prove  rightly  all 
things,  and  hold  fast  only  that  which  is  good. 

For,  should  an  apostle,  or  an  angel  from  heaven, 
preach  any  doctrine  opposed  to  those  contained  in 
the  word  of  God,  every  man  who  should  know  this 
Avould  be  bound  to  reject  it.  To  the  law  and  to  the 
testimony  :  if  men  speak  not  according  to  these,  there 
is  no  light  in  them.  And  if  the  blind  lead  the  blind, 
both  will  be  in  danger  of  perishing.  But  let  all  be 
taught  to  read,  own  a  Bible,  and  every  day  read  a 
portion  of  it  as  the  word  of  God,  seeking  for  the 
teaching  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  in  dependence  on  the 
Savior,  and  for  the  purpose  of  knowing  and  doing 
his  will ;  let  them  spend  a  portion  of  every  Sabbath 
in  studying  it,  and  in  hearing  the  gospel  preached  by 
his  ministers,  calling  no  man  master,  because  one  is 
their  Master,  even  Christ,  and  receiving  his  truth,  not 
as  the  word  of  man,  but  as  the  word  of  God,  and 
they  will  become  wise  unto  salvation.  They  will 
know  the  truth,  and  the  truth,  so  far  as  they  are  gov- 
erned by  it,  will  make  them  free  from  complacency 
in  and  dependence  upon  themselves,  from  subjection 
to  human  authority,  from  the  fear  of  man,  from  the 
love  of  the  world,  and  the  power  of  sin. 

The  acquisition  and  communication  of  biblical 
knowledge  is  an  appropriate  employment  for  the 
proper  and  most  useful  observance  of  the  Christian 
Sabbath.  This  may  be  done  in  the  family,  in  the 
Sabbath  school,  in  the  Bible  class,  and  in  all  those 
places  and  forms  which  will  be  most  interesting 
and  efficacious ;  due  regard  being  had  to  the  ages 
and  characterSj  conditions,  capacities,  and  wants  of 


90 

all  concerned.  With  the  young  and  inexperienced  a 
different  course,  in  many  respects,  may  to  advantage 
be  adopted,  from  what  would  be  most  suitable  to 
those  of  more  advanced  knowledge  and  years.  A 
lively  interest  in  the  exercises  of  the  day  is  exceed- 
ingly desirable,  especially  in  the  young,  and,  if  prac- 
ticable, should  be  secured.  The  mind  should  not  be 
overtaxed  as  to  amount  or  time,  on  this  day  of  holy 
rest ;  nor  should  it,  on  the  other  hand,  be  given  up  to 
idleness  and  sloth,  much  less  to  lightness  and  frivol- 
ity. Nothing  should  be  done  which  tends  to  obliter- 
ate the  impression  that  it  is  the  day  of  the  Lord,  an 
emblem  of  the  rest  of  heaven,  and,  by  God's  appoint- 
ment, a  season  of  special  efforts  to  be  prepared  to  be 
partakers  of  its  joys.  The  end  for  which  the  day  was 
'made  and  given  to  men  should  he  kept  in  view,  and 
such  a  course  he  pursued  hy  all  classes  of  people  as  is 
hest  adapted  to  accomplish  it. 

With  reference  to  this,  it  is  not  wise  to  have  a 
great  pressure  of  worldly  business  and  cares  on 
Saturday,  or  to  carry  them  up  to  the  last  moment 
of  secular  time.  Such  a  course  tends  to  unfit  the 
mind  and  the  body  for  the  duties  of  the  Sabbath. 
Not  a  few,  in  this  way,  to  a  great  extent,  deprive 
themselves  of  its  benefits.  Let  men  work,  or  jour- 
ney, or  write,  or  sit  in  legislative  or  judicial  halls, 
till  twelve  o'clock  on  Saturday  night,  and  they  will  be 
very  likely  to  have,  in  spiritual  things,  a  comparative- 
ly profitless  Sabbath.  On  the  contrary,  let  them  re- 
member in  season  that  the  day  is  coming,  and  regu- 
larly close  their  business,  and  they  will  find  it  highly 
conducive  to  the  best  observance  and  greatest  useful- 
ness of  the  day. 

Ministers  of  the  gospel  who  close  their  preparation 
for  the  pulpit  at  twelve  o'clock  on  Saturday  noon,  will 
be  much  more  likely  rightly  to  keep  the  Sabbath  than 
those  who  continue  their  labors  till  twelve  o'clock  on 
Saturday  night.     And  they  who  close  their  prepara- 


91 

tion  for  the  pulpit  on  Friday  evening,  and  have 
Saturday  for  a  day  of  rest,  will  be  able  to  perform 
more  ministerial  labor,  and  in  a  better  manner,  than 
those  who  have  no  day  of  rest. 

A  distinguished  divine,  who  has  lately,  as  is  be- 
lieved, gone  to  the  rest  which  remains  for  the  people 
of  God,  but  a  short  time  before  his  departure  told  the 
writer  that  he  had  tried  effectually  both  ways.  He 
had,  for  a  number  of  years,  finished  his  preparation  on 
Saturday  night.  He  had  then  preached  and  per- 
formed the  other  duties  of  the  Sabbath,  and  been 
diligently  employed  during  the  following  six  days  of 
the  week.  He  had  afterwards,  as  exhausted  nature 
began  to  cry  out  for  help,  changed  his  course.  For 
a  number  of  years  he  had  made  it  a  matter  of  con- 
science to  finish  his  preparation  for  the  pulpit  on 
Friday  evening,  and  to  have  Saturday  as  a  day  of  rest. 
He  then  came  to  the  duties  of  the  Sabbath  invigor- 
ated and  refreshed.  Instead  of  being,  as  before,  in 
feverish  excitement,  under  the  exhaustion  of  previous 
labors,  he  could  preach  with  greater  vigor  and  effect. 
He  escaped  the  subsequent  annihilating  depression  of 
which  his  brethren,  who  have  no  day  of  rest,  com- 
plain, and  of  which  he  formerly  complained.  He 
enjoyed  more  uniform  and  vigorous  health,  and,  in 
the  course  of  the  year,  could  accomplish  more  busi- 
ness, and  in  a  better  manner. 

Such,  it  is  believed,  in  the  pursuance  of  a  similar 
course,  with  proper  training  and  habits,  would  be 
the  experience  of  others.  Preachers  can  no  more 
work  with  diligence  seven  days  in  a  week  without 
injury  than  other  men.  Annihilation  on  Monday, 
ennui  on  Tuesday,  dyspepsia  on  Wednesday,  bron- 
chitis on  Thursday,  feverish,  apprehensive  excitement 
about  the  Sabbath  on  Friday,  and  unhealthy,  ner- 
vous irritation  and  efi'ort  on  Saturday,  to  be  followed 
by  unnatural,  and  well-nigh  supernatural  exhibitions 
on  the  Sabbath,  and  ills  like  the  above  on  the  follow- 


92 

ing  week,  resulting,  not  unfrequently,  in  abandon- 
ment of  the  ministry,  or  loss  of  health,  or  premature 
death,  echo  the  voice  of  God,  ^'  Six  days  shalt  thou 
labor,  and  do  all  thy  work." 

As  the  appropriate  duties  of  the  Sabbath  call  min- 
isters of  the  gospel  to  exhausting  labors  on  that  day, 
they  must  have  another  day  for  rest.  Saturday,  if 
practicable,  is  the  best  day,  for  various  reasons.  If 
they  cannot  have  that,  let  them  take  Monday.  But 
it  is  said,  there  are  sick  to  be  visited,  and  various  im- 
perious duties,  which  must  occupy  Monday.  Then 
let  them  take  Tuesday.  One  day  in  a  week  they 
must  have,  if,  with  proper  diligence,  they  obey  the 
command,  ''  Six  days  shalt  thou  labor,"  or  they  must 
eat  the  fruit  of  their  own  labor,  and  be  filled  with 
their  devices. 

But  a  man  asks,  ''  Would  you  have  ministers  of  the 
gospel  do  less  work  ?  "  No,  I  would  have  them  do 
more ;  and  more  than  they  can  do  by  working  seven 
days  in  a  week  ;  and  I  would  have  them  do  it  in  a 
better  way.  I  would  also  have  them  set  a  better  ex- 
ample to  their  people.  Instead  of  opposing  their  wis- 
dom to  the  wisdom  of  God,  I  would  have  them,  in 
the  duties  of  their  calling,  six  days  in  a  week,  give 
themselves  to  reading,  to  meditation  and  to  prayer,  to 
the  ministry  of  the  word  and  the  administration  of 
the  ordinances  of  God's  appointment,  stirring  up  the 
gift  of  God  that  is  in  them,  and  what  their  hands  find 
to  do,  doing  it  with  their  might ;  and  one  day  in  a 
week  I  would  have  them,  in  accordance  with  the 
nature  which  God  has  given  them,  and  the  obliga- 
tions thence  arising,  cease  from  their  labors,  as  God 
did  from  his,  and,  like  him,  be  thereby  refreshed. 

^^  But  the  custom  is  such  that  this  cannot  be  done." 
Then  let  the  custom  be  changed,  and  the  sooner  the 
better ;  and  you  may  be  instrumental,  under  God,  in 
changing  it.  Be  not  conformed,  in  this  respect,  to 
the   world ;    but  be  ye  transformed  by   the   renew- 


93 

ing  of  your  mind  and  the  changing  of  your  conduct, 
that  ye  may  thus  prove  what  is  that  good,  and  accept- 
able, and  perfect  will  of  God. 

''  But  I,"  says  one,  "  am  a  private  Christian.  I 
have  to  work  all  the  week  in  a  laborious  employment, 
in  order  to  support  my  family.  On  Saturday  night  I 
feel  exhausted  and  in  need  of  repose.  On  Sabbath 
morning  I  have  to  rise  early,  attend  to  personal  and 
family  duties,  then  go  to  Sabbath  school,  which  is 
held  before  meeting,  and  at  the  intermission.  We 
have  three  public  services,  or  two  and  a  prayer-meet- 
ing in  the  evening.  The  Sabbath  is  to  me  as  ex- 
hausting, physically,  as  any  day  of  the  week."  But 
this,  in  a  free  country,  is  a  matter,  not  of  coercion, 
but  of  choice.  It  is  not  required  by  the  nature  of 
man,  or  by  the  command  of  God.  No  man  who 
labors  all  the  week  is  called  to  exhaust  himself  physi- 
cally on  the  Sabbath,  but  so  to  employ  it  in  such 
holy  rest  and  duties  as  to  be  refreshed.  This  the 
command  of  God  requires,  and  a  sound  Christian  dis- 
cretion dictates.  By  excess  in  amount  of  labor  on  a 
week  day,  a  man  may  so  exhaust  himself  that  he  will 
be  obliged  to  lie  by  the  next  day.  But  his  constitu- 
tion does  not  require  this,  neither  does  the  law  of  God 
or  the  good  of  men.  They  do  not  permit  it.  A 
wise  man  will  not  do  it.  If  an  unwise  man  does  it, 
he  must  reap  the  fruit  of  his  folly.  If  he  errs  in 
excess  of  bodily  or  mental  effort  on  the  Sabbath,  he 
will  suifer  as  really  as  on  a  week  day.  The  laws  of 
nature,  which  are  the  laws  of  God,  are  too  good  to 
permit  a  man  to  violate  them  with  impunity  even  in 
religious  efforts.  He  must,  to  obey  God,  —  and  if  he 
feel  and  act  rightly  he  will,  —  strive  to  enter  in  at  the 
strait  gate,  and  to  walk  in  the  narrow  way,  and  also 
have  others  do  the  same ;  yet  he  will  suffer  even  in 
this,  unless  he  strive  lawfully,  according  to  the  laws 
of  God.  He  must  take  the  Lord's  way  in  preference 
to  his  own,  or  the  way  of  others,  even  though  they 


94 

should  be  great  and  good  men  ;  saying  to  God  in  this 
as  well  as  in  other  things,  "  Not  my  will,  but  thine, 
be  done." 

Hence  the  necessity  of  going  to  the  Bible  in  order 
to  learn  the  will  of  God  about  the  Sabbath ;  to  learn 
the  end  for  which  the  day  was  made,  and  the  way  in 
which  it  is  to  be  kept.  We  must  also  know  our- 
selves, and  the  laws,  natural  and  moral,  by  which  we 
are  to  be  governed,  that  we  may  not,  through  igno- 
rance, or  for  the  purpose  of  doing  good,  violate  them. 

We  see  also  the  necessity  of  observation  and  expe- 
rience, and  especially  of  prayer,  for  the  teaching  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  that  by  the  word,  the  Spirit,  and  the 
providence  of  God,  we  may  be  furnished  with  all 
needful  light  to  discern,  and  all  needful  wisdom  and 
grace  to  pursue,  the  manifested  will  of  God. 

The  duties  of  the  Sabbath,  rightly  understood  and 
properly  performed,  instead  of  tending  to  unfit,  all 
tend  better  to  prepare  a  man  for  the  discharge  of  the 
subsequent  duties  of  the  week,  and,  like  godliness  in 
all  other  respects,  they  are  profitable  unto  all  good 
things. 

''  Bat  why  is  it  necessary,  in  order  rightly  to  keep 
the  Sabbath,  that  men  should  habitually  attend  pub- 
lic worship  ? " 

Because  without  it  the  great  object  of  the  Sabbath 
can  never  be  accomplished.  That  object  is,  to  com- 
municate to  men  the  true  knowledge  of  God,  and 
statedly  to  present  to  them  the  motives  which  he  has 
revealed  to  induce  them  to  love  and  obey  him. 

That  there  is  a  God  all  nature  shows  ;  of  course  it 
is  the  duty  of  all  men  to  acknowledge  and  adore  him, 
not  only  as  individuals  and  in  private,  but  as  social 
beings  and  in  a  public  manner.  This  God  requires. 
"  Ye  shall  keep  my  Sabbaths  and  reverence  my  sanc- 
tuary. Give  unto  the  Lord,  O  ye  kindreds  of  people, 
give  unto  the  Lord  glory  and  strength,  give  unto  the 
Lord  the  glory  due  unto  his  name  ;  bring  an  offering 


95 

and  come  into  his  courts.  O,  worship  the  Lord  in 
the  beauty  of  hohness."  ''Not  forsaking  the  assem- 
bling of  ourselves  together  as  the  manner  of  some  is, 
but  exhorting  one  another,  and  so  much  the  more  as 
ye  see  the  day  approaching.  For  if  we  sin  wilfully 
after  that  we  have  received  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  there  remaineth  no  more  sacrifice  for  sin,  but  a 
certain  fearful  looking  for  of  judgment  and  fiery  in- 
dignation, which  shall  devour  the  adversaries." 

Without  public  worship  the  Sabbath  itself  will  be 
neglected,  and  the  true  knowledge  of  God  will  be 
lost.  The  gospel  will  not  be  preached,  or,  if  preached, 
will  fail  of  its  effects.  If  one  may  stay  away,  another 
may,  and  another,  —  all  may.  The  day  will  be  de- 
voted to  secular  business,  or  to  amusement  and  dissi- 
pation. The  ordinances  of  the  gospel  and  the  means 
of  grace  will  be  neglected.  The  Bible  will  not  be 
read,  and  those  instrumentalities  which  God  has  ap- 
pointed to  make  men  wise  unto  salvation  will  cease 
to  operate. 

Common  schools  and  general  education  never  pre- 
vail without  public  worship,  nor  that  intelligence 
and  virtue  which  are  essential  to  the  purity,  and 
even  the  existence,  of  free  civil  and  religious  insti- 
tutions. So  that  those  who  neglect  public  worship 
not  only  rebel  against  their  Maker,  but  exert  an 
influence  which  tends  to  banish  all  true  and  saving 
knowledge  of  him  from  the  world.  They  would 
blot  out  the  manifestation  of  his  glory,  especially  that 
which  shines  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ.  They 
would  stop  the  sound  of  his  mercy,  and  prevent  the 
reconciling  of  men  unto  himself.  They  therefore  do 
a  great  injury,  not  only  to  themselves,  but  also  to  their 
fellow-men. 

Though  some  individuals  of  peculiar  structure  and 
temperament,  or  in  a  peculiar  condition,  may  for  a 
time  neglect  public  worship,  and  not  become  openly 
vicious,  yet  with  the  masses  of  men  it  would  be  far 
otherwise.     Let  the  public  worship  of  God  be  aban- 


% 

doned,  and  family  prayer  and  private  devotion  would 
cease.  Impressions  made  by  truth,  and  restraints 
which  it  imposes,  would  be  done  away.  Passions 
would  become  rampant,  and  vice  stalk  abroad.  All 
that  is  holy  in  possession,  and  all  that  is  lovely  and 
cheering  in  prospect,  would  be  forever  lost. 

Nor  would  the  contemner  of  public  worship  him- 
self escape.  He  would  lose  the  favor  of  God,  the 
approbation  of  an  enlightened,  approving  conscience, 
the  pleasure  of  doing  good  while  he  lives,  and  of  set- 
ting an  example  which  will  be  carrying  blessings  to 
others  after  he  is  in  the  grave. 

On  the  contrary,  his  own  mind  would  suffer,  and  be 
like  the  heath  in  the  desert,  not  seeing  good  when 
good  comes.  His  children  would  fail  of  the  benefit 
which  they  might  receive,  and  the  prospect  be  in- 
creased that,  as  the  parents  refuse  to  do  their  duty, 
their  children  would  grope  in  darkness  through  time, 
and  the  blackness  of  darkness  would  rest  upon 
them  for  eternity.  Generations  that  succeed  them 
would  experience  the  deleterious  influences  of  their 
having  lived,  and  would  add,  in  long  succession  and 
accumulating  pressure,  to  the  weight  of  their  tor- 
ments. 

Who,  then,  that  is  a  friend  to  himself  or  his  race, 
will  neglect  the  obvious  and  reasonable  duty  of  pub- 
licly and  habitually  worshipping  his  Maker  ?  And 
who  that  is  a  friend  to  God  will  not  delight  in 
uniting  with  his  fellow-men  in  acknowledging  and 
adoring  Him  who  is  over  all,  blessed  forevermore,  and 
mingling  his  voice  with  those  who  from  Sabbath  to 
Sabbath  say,  ''  O  come,  let  us  worship,  let  us  kneel 
and  bow  down  before  Jehovah  our  Maker,  for  we  are 
the  sheep  of  his  pasture  and  the  people  of  his  hand. 
Enter  his  gates  with  thanksgiving  and  his  courts 
with  praise,  be  thankful  unto  him  and  bless  his  name. 
Bless  the  Lord  in  all  places  of  his  dominion  ;  bless 
the  Lord,  O  my  soul."  And  who,  that  loves  his  chil- 
dren, will  not  pour  upon  them,  and  his  children's  chil- 


97 

dren  to  all  coming  ages,  the  tide  of  blessings  which 
will  flow  from  his  example  ? 

Let  all,  then,  who  would  be  the  friends  of  their 
Maker  and  benefactors  of  their  race,  confine  their 
secular  business,  travelling,  and  amusement  to  six 
days  in  a  week,  the  only  days  which  God  has  made 
or  given  to  men  for  that  purpose,  the  only  days  which 
they  can  take  without  taking  what  is  not  theirs,  and 
thus  showing  themselves  to  be  at  heart,  towards  God, 
dishonest  men.  Let  them  remember  the  Sabbath  day 
and  keep  it  holy  as  the  day  of  the  Lord,  devoting  it 
from  beginning  to  end  cheerfully  to  his  worship,  pri- 
vate, social,  and  public,  and  to  the  promotion  of  the 
spiritual  good  of  men.  Let  them  cease  from  secular 
cares,  from  worldly,  scientific,  and  literary  reading, 
conversation,  visiting,  and  pleasure.  Let  them  hear- 
ken diligently  to  the  voice  of  God  in  his  works,  his 
word,  and  his  providence,  and  as  echoed  by  their 
own  conscience  ;  let  them  make  it  a  part  of  their 
employment  every  Sabbath  to  study  the  Bible  with 
attention,  docility,  and  prayer,  to  hearken  to  it  as 
illustrated,  expounded,  and  enforced  by  the  pious, 
learned,  and  faithful  ministers  of  the  gospel,  and  then 
let  them  search  the  Scriptures  for  themselves,  and 
judge  whether  what  they  hear  is  confirmed  by  the 
unerring  word  of  God ;  and  if  so,  let  them  receive  it, 
not  as  the  word  of  men,  but  as  the  word  of  God, 
treasure  it  up  in  their  hearts,  and  exemplify  it  in  their 
lives.  Then  will  they  shine  as  lights  in  the  world, 
holding  forth  the  word  of  life,  and  letting  their  light 
so  shine  that  multitudes  will  be  led  to  glorify  their 
Father  in  heaven.  Life  will  be  pleasant,  death  will 
be  peaceful,  and  eternity  glorious.  Their  children,  who 
walk  in  their  steps,  will  rise  up  and  call  them  blessed. 
Posterity  will  honor  their  memory,  and  unborn  gen- 
erations, to  all  future  time,  reap  the  benefit  of  their 
labors,  and  add  to  their  exceeding  and  eternal  weight 
of  glory. 


FIFTH 

PERMANENT    DOCUMENT 

OF    THE 

^Immcan  anlr  Ioxt\%n  SabbatI)  Hnion. 


CONTENTS. 


Developments   of    Providence    on 

THE    Sabbath, 3 

1.  Tlie  deacon  and  liis  vessel, 6 

2.  The  Boston  merchant, 6 

3.  The  New  York  captain, 7 

4.  The  Joseph   Starbuck, 8 

5.  The  first  chance, 8 

6.  "  A  useless,  solitary  thing," 9 

7.  No  gain  to  liie  family 9 

8.  "  1  shall  take  care," 10 

9.  Nothing  lost, 11 

10.  Eight  lost  to  save  two, 11 

11.  Two  companies  from  New  York, ..12 

12.  A  trial  of  fourteen  years, 12 

13.  The  man  and  liis  mother, 13 

14.  The  two  canal  boats, 13 

15.  The  statesman's  lamentation, 13 

16.  Starting  too  soon, 14 

17.  Steamboat  disaster, 15 

18.  Statement  of  Henry  Schoolcraft,.  .15 

19.  The  father  and  his  son, 16 

20.  Sabbath-breaking  and  crime, 17 

21.  Fifteen  young  men, 17 

22.  Afraid  to  follow  their  example,. ..  .18 

23.  The  reckless  man, 16 

24.  Cheating  the  Lord ]9 

25.  Listen  to  him, 20 

26.  Vessels  in  the  Mississippi, 21 

27.  Making  haste  to  be  rich, 21 

28.  He  was  afraid, 22 

29.  Twenty-five  per  cent,  lost, 22 

30.  Unreasonable  irritation, 23 

31.  Card-playing  and  smoking, 24 

32.  The  governor's  reply, 24 

33.  Discussion  of  the  bishops, 24 

34.  Boat  or  no  boat, 25 

35.  Four  young  men, 25 

36.  It  seemed  to  vanish, 26 

37<  The  infidel  and  his  horses, 27 

38.  Three  weeks'  experiment, 27 

39.  Travellers  from  the  Pacific, 28 

40.  Six  days  and  seven,. 29 

41.  The  Buffalo  schooner, 30 

42.  The  three  vessels, 30 

43.  The  farmer  and  his  men, 31 

44.  "  You  were  right,  and  I  wrong, "...31 

45.  They  all  failed, 32 

46.  The  powerful  young  man, 33 

47.  Not  ready, 34 

48.  Q.ui  facit  per  alium  facit  per  se,...34 

49.  Nine  etagemen, 35 

60.  Three  experiments, 35 

51.  Two  men  and  their  windmills, 30 

52.  "  He  shall  not  have  my  money,"..  .36 

53.  Not  send  him  to  Sabbath  School,... 37 

54.  "  Will  not  run  on  the  Sabbath,".  ..38 

55.  Make  haste  slowly, 38 

56.  The  young  and  the  old  merchant,.  .39 

57.  Two  young  men, 40 

58.  The  fruit  tree, 40 

59    "  Go  back,  or  i  will  shoot  you,".  ..40 

60.  "Without  warning," 41 

61.  I  would  sooner  go  to  hell  for  shingles,41 

62.  Two  lines  of  wagons, 42 

63.  "  He  did  not  wish  to  see  anybody,"  42 

64.  A  great  change, 43 

65.  The  steam  flour  mill, 43 

66.  Three  manufacturers, 44 


Two  families, 45 

The  conscientious  clerk, 45 

The  successful  captain, 46 

New  England  young  men, 47 

Four  per  cent,  and  twenty-five, ...48 

The  whirlwind 49 

The  traveller  at  Natchez, 49 

The  West  India  captain, 50 

The  traveller  at  Mackinac, 50 

The  young  man  at  New  Orleans, .50 

Fish  caught  too  soon, 51 

The  way  to  save  time,. 51 

"  Now  let  it  rain," 52 

They  tried  it, 53 

Better  than  before, 53 

"  Don't  say  any  thing," 54 

Profitable  reflection, 55 

The  new  shuttle, 56 

The  rich  family, 56 

An  entire  change, 57 

Mark  the  end, 57 

"It  will  not  bear," 57 

A  week  for  each  Sabbath  day,. . .  .58 

The  broken  resolution, 58 

"  I  am  glad  of  it," 59 

"  I  saved  my  money," 59 

"  It  is  good  enough  for  us," 59 

The  mechanic  and  his  apprentice,  60 

The  Rev.  Mr. , 60 

Duelling  fashion, 61 

The  bankrupt  act, 61 

The  insolvent  postmaster, 61 

The  cask  of  sugar, 62 

Testimony  of  Boston  civilians,. .  .62 

A  respected  citizen, 63 

The  captain, 63 

The  lawyer, 64 

The  forwarding  house, 65 

The  fault  of  his  mother, 66 

The  enterjirising  manufacturer,..  .66 

1'he  deep  valley 66 

The  inconsiderate  lady, 67 

The  nineteen  merchants, 67 

The  decided  sailor, 67 

The  oyster  vessel, 68 

"  You  are  the  cause," 69 

The  captain  who  prayed, 69 

My  uncle, 70 

From  a  clergyman, 71 

The  mill  dam, 71 

The  loaded  gun, 72 

Repair  on  Sunday,  break  on  Mond.  72 

Atheists  and  infidels, 73 

Another  warning, 74 

Niagara  Falls, 74 

"  You  can  trust  him," 76 

Charles  Turner, 76 

"  I  would  let  her  lie  there," 76 

Statement  of  a  father, 77 

Tlie  elder  and  his  neighbor, 78 

"  I  must  earn  my  doll.ir  a  day,".. 78 
"  By  observing  the  Sabbath,  sir,". 79 

The  Pennsylvania  drover, 79 

All  his  children  pious, 80 

The  man  and  his  horse, 80 

"  If  sinners  entice,  consent  not, ".83 
Don't  leave  port  on  the  Sabbath, ..84 
The  last  Sabbath  in  port, 85 


FIFTH   PERMANENT 


SABBATH   DOCUMENT 


AMERICAN  AND  FOREIGN  SABBATH  UNION. 


DEVELOPMENTS  OF  PROVIDENCE  ON  THE  SABBATH. 

In  the  previous  numbers  of  the  Sabbath  Documents, 
it  has  been  shown  that  the  Sabbath  is  based  on  nat- 
m-al  laws,  and  that  the  command  of  God  to  remem- 
ber it  and  keep  it  holy  expresses  the  obligation  which 
arises  from  the  nature  and  relations  of  things ;  that 
the  first  day  of  the  week  is  the  day  which  God,  in 
his  word  and  his  providence,  has  plainly  designated 
as  the  day  to  be  kept  holy,  under  the  gospel  dispen- 
sation ;  that  the  Sabbath,  in  one  of  its  most  important 
aspects,  is  a  Family  Institution,  designed  to  aid  parents 
in  training  up  their  children  in  the  way  they  should 
go,  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord,  and 
that  the  keeping  of  it  holy  is  the  great  safeguard  of 
children  and  youth,  while  under  the  care  of  parents, 
and  from  the  time  they  leave  their  parents  to  the 
time  when  they  become  parents  themselves.  The 
proper  mode,  also,  of  keeping  the  Sabbath,  in  order  to 
realize  its  highest  benefits,  has  been  pointed  out,  and 
the  objections  answered,  which  are  often  made,  to  the 
keeping  of  it  in  this  way. 

This  number  will  exhibit  some  of  the  developments 


of  Providence  on  the  Sabbath,  by  the  statement  of  a 
number  of  facts,  which  have  been  communicated  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Union,  in  the  course  of  his  journeys 
of  more  than  forty-eight  thousand  miles,  through  twen- 
ty-five of  the  United  States.  It  has  not  been  the  ob- 
ject of  the  writer  in  this  and  in  previous  numbers,  in 
all  cases,  to  state  facts  in  the  exact  words  in  which 
they  were  communicated,  but  to  state  the  sense, 
according  to  notes  taken  at  the  time  or  soon  after- 
wards. 

These  facts  are  not  stated  to  prove  that  the  Sabbath 
is  a  holy  day,  or  that,  as  such,  men  ought  to  keep  it  ; 
nor  are  they  stated  to  lead  any  to  say,  "  These  men 
were  sinners  above  all  men  because  they  suffered  such 
things ;  "  but,  the  divine  authority  and  perpetual  ob- 
ligations of  the  Sahhath  havings  in  previous  numbers^ 
been  proved  by  appropriate  and  conclusive  evidence^ 
these  facts  are  stated  because  they  form  a  part  of  the 
history  of  Providence  with  regard  to  the  Sabbath,  and 
one  which  is  adapted  to  convey  important  instruction 
to  mankind.  Like  thousands  of  other  facts,  which 
might  be  mentioned,  they  serve  to  illustrate  and  en- 
force the  following  truth,  viz. :  When  men^  in  op- 
position to  the  known  will  of  God,  openly  trample 
down  a  great  institution  of  his  appoint^nent,  the  ob- 
servance of  which  is  essejitial  to  the  promotion  of  his 
glory  and  the  welfare  of  men  on  a  state  of  probatio7i, 
he  will  in  his  providence  so  often  thwart  their  plans 
ajid  disappoint  their  expectations,  that  for  them  to 
pursue  such  a  course  is  not  wise.  It  is  not  good  pol- 
icy for  this  world.  It  does  not  produce  a  good  influ- 
ence on  a  man's  own  mind  while  he  pursues  it ;  and 
it  does  not  work  well  on  his  children.  It  is  not  the 
best  way  to  obtain  property,  and  receive  from  it  the 
greatest  benefit,  and  it  does  not  end  well. 

A  son  may  sometimes  increase  his  possessions  for  a 
season  by  robbing  his  father.  But  it  is  not  a  good 
way,   even  to  get  rich.     If  a   man   had  no    higher 


object  in  view  than  to  make  money  and  enjoy  it,  he 
had  better  take  some  other  way.  Because,  such  is  the 
character  of  God,  and  such  are  the  laws  of  his  provi- 
dence, that  children  who  openly  and  presumptuously 
trample  on  the  rights  of  their  parents,  will  be  more 
likely,  than  if  they  were  just  and  kind  toward  them, 
to  be  disappointed  in  this  world,  and  come  to  a  woful 
end.  So  Avith  the  man  that  tramples  on  marriage, 
and  violates  the  revealed  will  of  God  with  regard  to 
that  sacred  institution.  He  will  be  less  likely  than 
he  otherwise  would  be  to  rise  to  respectability,  use- 
fulness, and  bliss,  and  more  likely  to  become  a  vaga- 
bond on  earth,  an  outcast  from  heaven.  So  with  the 
man  that  tramples  on  the  Sabbath,  and  desecrates  its 
sacred  hours  to  purposes  of  worldly  business,  travel- 
ling, or  amusement.  There  are  laws  of  nature  and 
of  providence,  as  well  as  of  the  Bible,  which  he  can 
neither  annul  nor  evade,  and  which  will  tend,  in 
many  ways,  to  work  out  his  ruin.  It  is  not  wise  for 
this  world,  for  men  openly  and  presumptuously  to  re- 
bel against  God.  He  is  too  strong  for  them  ;  and  he 
has  too  many  ways  at  his  command  in  which  he  can 
show  them,  and  through  them  show  the  universe, 
that  the  way  of  transgressors  is  hard.  The  same 
principles  apply,  not  only  to  individuals,  but  to  com- 
munities, to  corporations,  to  states,  and  to  nations. 

The  following  facts  are  stated,  among  multitudes 
of  others  that  might  be  stated,  in  illustration  of  the 
above  mentioned  truths ;  and  to  impress  more  deeply 
upon  the  minds  of  all  who  may  peruse  them,  es- 
pecially on  the  minds  of  the  young,  the  conviction, 
that  obedience  to  the  will  of  God,  revealed  in  his 
works,  his  word,  and  his  providence,  "  is  profitable 
unto  all  things ;  having  promise  of  the  life  that  now 
is,  and  of  that  which  is  to  come."  (1  Tim.  4:  8.) 
1* 


FACTS. 


1.  The    Deacon   and    his    Vessel.  —  A   deacon 

in was   engaged   in   the  coasting   trade.     His 

vessel,  in  the  spring,  was  ready  for  sea.  For  a  num- 
ber of  days  the  wind  was  contrary,  and  he  could  not 
get  out  of  the  harbor.  On  the  Sabbath,  the  wind  was 
fair.  Other  vessels,  that  were  ready,  put  to  sea.  His 
remained,  because  it  was  the  Sabbath,  and  he  attend- 
ed church  as  usual.  On  several  succeeding  days, 
wind  and  weather  were  unfavorable ;  and  he  still 
remained  in  port.  At  length  the  weather  changed  ; 
he  left  the  harbor;  and  no  man  from  that  place,  in 
the  course  of  the  season,  made  a  greater  number  of 
voyages,  or  more  profitable  ones,  than  he.  He  did 
not  appear  to  be  a  loser  by  remembering  the  Sabbath 
day  and  keeping  it  holy. 

2.  The  Boston  Merchant. — He  was  called  to 
Charleston,  S.  C,  in  a  vessel  owned  by  himself. 
Having  finished  his  business,  he  was  ready  to  return. 
But  the  vessel  was  detained  a  number  of  days,  by 
contrary  winds.  On  Sabbath  morning,  the  captain 
came  to  his  lodgings,  and  told  him  the  wind  was 
fair,  and  that  all  the  wind-bound  vessels  were  getting 
under  way.  He  replied,  "  You  must  not  go  to  sea 
to-day ;  it  is  the  Sabbath,  and  I  cannot  permit  my 
vessel  to  leave  the  port."  The  captain  remonstrated, 
but  in  vain.  The  next  day  the  wind  was  contrary, 
and  it  was  not  till  Thursday  that  they  could  leave 
the  harbor.  They  then  took  a  favorable  breeze,  and 
were  soon  wafted  to  their  desired  haven.  On  reach- 
ing Boston,  the  captain  found  that  not  a  vessel  which 
left  on  the  Sabbath  had  arrived ;  nor  did  they  arrive 


till  several  weeks  after.  They  encountered  a  violent 
gale  :  some  of  them  were  wrecked ;  others  were  blown 
off  to  the  West  Indies,  and  in  various  ways  they 
suffered  great  hardships,  dangers,  and  losses,  which, 
had  they  staid  in  port  on  the  Sabbath,  they  might 
have  avoided. 

The  owner  returned  by  land.  When  he  had  arrived 
within  a  few  miles  of  Boston,  the  Sabbath  came. 
He  stopped  and  attended  public  worship.  The  vil- 
lagers were  anxious  to  know  who  the  stranger  was. 
And  when  they  learned,  that,  after  his  long  absence 
from  his  family,  he  had  stopped  because  it  was  the 
Sabbath,  notwithstanding  he  was  so  near  home,  they 
concluded  that  he  must  be  an  upright,  honest  man, 
with  whom  it  would  be  safe  to  do  business;  and  the 
number  of  his  customers  from  that  circumstance,  in 
that  town,  was  greatly  increased.  In  after  life,  he 
often  spoke  of  it.  and  remarked  that,  had  he  intended 
to  promote  only  his  own  worldly  interest,  he  could 
not  in  any  way  have  done  it  more  effectually ;  for 
afterwards  he  had  a  great  portion  of  the  town  for  his 
customers. 

3.     The    New    York    Captain.  —  Captain   


was  in  a  southern  port,  with  his  vessel.  He  had 
engaged  a  number  of  passengers  for  New  York,  and 
was  ready  to  sail ;  but  the  wind  was  contrary,  and  he 
was  detained  a  number  of  days.  On  the  Sabbath, 
the  wind  was  fair.  The  other  vessels  bound  to  New 
York  put  to  sea.  His  passengers  became  very  un- 
easy, and  urged  him  to  sail.  He  refused,  because 
it  was  the  Sabbath.  On  Monday  he  sailed.  Some 
of  his  passengers  were  grumbling  all  the  way,  on 
account  of  their  detention  a  whole  day,  through  the 
superstition,  as  they  called  it,  of  the  captain.  But 
when  they  reached  New  York,  not  a  vessel  that  sailed 
on  the  Sabbath  had  arrived.  They  had  encountered 
a  violent  gale,  been  driven  off  far  into  the  Gulf  Stream, 


8 

and  did  not  arrive  till  a  considerable  time  afterwards. 
The  complainers  were  ashamed,  and  expressed  their 
regret  to  the  captain  that  they  had  so  abused  him  ; 
while  he  had  new  evidence  of  the  wisdom,  as  well  as 
the  duty,  of  not  violating  the  command  of  God. 

4.  The  Joseph  Starbuck.  —  This  was  a  strong 
and  beautiful  ship.  She  was  towed  out  of  the  har- 
bor on  the  second  Sabbath  of  November,  1842,  to  be 
taken  about  thirty  miles,  and  fitted  for  a  four  years' 
voyage.  About  thirty  seamen,  and  five  ladies,  rela- 
tives of  the  officers,  were  on  board.  Soon  after 
crossing  the  bar,  the  wind  was  contrary,  and  in- 
creased, till  it  was  necessary  to  cast  anchor,  and 
wait  till  it  should  abate.  Night  came,  and  the  wind 
increased  to  an  awful  tempest.  Few  acquainted 
with  their  condition  slept  that  night.  In  the  morn- 
mg,  she  was  seen  about  four  miles  off,  driven  back 
upon  the  bar,  a  melancholy  wreck.  She  lay  on  her 
side,  bilged,  and  full  of  water,  with  the  wind  un- 
abated, and  the  weather  intensely  cold.  A  steam- 
boat put  off  for  her  relief.  As  they  approached,  they 
saw  numbers  clinging  to  the  icy  sails.  Others,  bare- 
footed, and  nearly  naked,  prepared  to  plunge  into  the 
water,  should  the  vessel,  as  was  momentarily  expected, 
go  to  pieces.  But  through  the  mercy  of  the  Lord, 
and  by  the  efforts  of  their  friends,  with  great  difficulty 
and  danger,  they  were  all  rescued,  and  brought  safely 
into  port.  '-  O  that  men  would  praise  the  Lord  for 
his  goodness,  and  for  his  wonderful  works  to  the 
children  of  men."     (Psalm  107:  8,   15,  21,  31.) 

5.  The  First  Chance.  —  A  merchant,  on  Satur- 
day, asked  his  friend,  when  he  was  going  to . 

He  said,  '■'■  To-morrow."  '-'■  What,"  said  the  merchant, 
"  on  the  Sabbath?  "  "  Yes,"  he  answered ;  *'  a  ves- 
sel of  fruit  has  just  arrived,  and  I  wish  for  the  first 
chance  to  purchase  for  this  market."     He  went  on 


the  Sabbath,  had  the  first  chance,  purchased  his  fruit, 
and  put  it  on  board  a  vessel.  But  the  vessel  got 
aground,  was  detained  a  number  of  days,  and  much 
of  his  frait  was  lost.  Those  who  started  on  Monday- 
purchased  fruit,  returned,  and  sold  it  before  he  arrived. 
On  his  arrival,  he  was  asked  how  much  he  had 
gained  by  taking  the  Sabbath.  His  reply  was,  '^  I 
have  not  gained,  but  lost  one  himdred  dollars  ;  and  I 
am  resolved  never  again  to  start  on  business  on  the 
Sabbath."  It  would  be  well  should  all  adopt  a  simi- 
lar resolution,  and  before  they  have  made  the  experi- 
ment ;  for  "the  way  of  transgressors  is  hard."  (Pro  v. 
13:  15.) 

6.  "A  USELESS,  SOLITARY  Thing." — A  numbcr  of 
years  ago,  a  dam  was  to  be  erected  across  a  large 
river.  The  work  was  difficult,  and  it  proceeded 
slowly.  The  owners  were  fearful  that  the  river 
would  rise,  and  the  difficulty  be  increased  before  the 
dam  would  be  completed.  They  therefore  continued 
their  work,  for  a  number  of  weeks,  on  the  Sabbath, 
greatly  to  the  annoyance  of  those  who  wished  to 
keep  the  day  holy.  The  dam  was  finished.  A  large 
mill,  with  numerous  saws,  was  erected,  and  nearly 
prepared  for  operation.  But  the  rain  came  in  great 
abundance,  and  continued  several  days.  The  river 
rose  rapidly  to  a  great  height ;  but  the  dam  withstood 
its  pressure  till  the  Sabbath.  Then  the  river  cut  a 
channel  around  the  dam,  carrying  away  houses,  gar- 
dens, mills,  and  the  walls  on  which  they  stood,  with 
an  immense  amount  of  property,  forming  a  chasm 
nearly  one  hundred  feet  deep,  through  which  flowed 
the  river,  and  leaving  the  dam  on  the  other  side,  in 
the  language  of  an  eye-witness,  "a  useless,  solitary 
thing." 

7.  No  Gain  to  the  Family.  —  During  the  late 
war,  a  gun-ship  was  to  be  launched.     It  was  Satur- 


10 

day,  and  multitudes  assembled  to  witness  the  sight» 
A  few  minutes  before  the  time,  she  began  to  move, 
but  soon  stopped  ;  and  with  all  their  efforts,  through 
the  day,  they  could  not  again  start  her.  The  Sab- 
bath came,  and  all  hands  were  summoned  to  come 
and  get  her  off.  One  man  had  a  great  conflict  in  his 
mind  about  working  on  the  Sabbath.  But  he  was 
afraid  that,  if  he  should  not  do  it,  he  would  lose  his 
place.  He  had  a  large  family,  and  he  did  not  know, 
in  that  case,  how  he  should  support  them.  He  there- 
fore went  and  engaged  in  such  labors  as  were  needful 
for  the  launching  of  the  ship.  While  thus  employed, 
something  from  above  fell,  struck  him  on  his  head, 
and  killed  him.  Of  course  his  place  was  vacated; 
his  family  were  not  gainers,  and  the  course  which  he 
took  to  provide  for  them,  deprived  them  ever  after  of 
his  aid.  It  had  been  better  to  have  exercised  faith  in 
God,  obeyed  his  command,  and  committed  himself 
and  his  family  to  the  gracious  care  and  disposal  of 
Him  who  hath  said,  '^  They  that  seek  the  Lord  shall 
not  lack  any  good  thing."  (Ps.  34  :  10.) 

8.  "I  SHALL  TAKE  Care." — "I  am  determined,'^ 
a  man  said,  "  not  again  to  break  the  Sabbath.  I 
believe  that  the  judgments  of  Heaven  have  followed 
me.  My  sloop  got  aground  ;  there  was  no  danger, 
and  no  necessity,  as  she  was  in  a  safe  place,  of  work- 
ing on  the  Sabbath.  And  yet  I  worked  nearly  all 
day  to  get  her  off.  I  succeeded ;  but  afterwards  she 
grounded  again,  and  I  lost  a  week.  In  getting  into 
the  harbor,  she  was  driven  ashore  again,  where  she  lay 
another  week.  At  length  I  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
port ;  but  it  was  so  late  in  the  season  that  I  was  fro- 
zen in,  and  another  week  was  lost.  On  my  return, 
just  before  I  entered  the  harbor,  a  heavy  easterly  gale 
drove  me  out  to  sea ;  and  after  a  night  of  dreadful 
suffering  and  danger,  my  vessel  was  driven  high  and 
dry  upon  the  rocks  on  the  opposite  side.     She  could 


11 

not  be  gotten  off,  and  was  sold  for  a  mere  trifle. 
Thus,  to  save  a  day  by  working  on  the  Sabbath,  I 
lost  more  than  twenty  days,  lost  my  vessel,  and  came 
near  losing  my  life.  I  shall  take  care,  in  future,  how 
I  violate  the  Sabbath." 

9.  Nothing  lost.  —  The  Rev.  Mr.  E.  was  going 
down  the  Ohio  River  in  a  steamboat.  On  Satur- 
day night,  he  arrived  at  M.,  and  although  strongly 
tempted  to  go  on,  as  others  did,  he  concluded  to 
stop,  and  went  on  shore.  On  the  Sabbath,  he 
preached.  His  labors  were  greatly  blessed.  Num- 
bers were  awakened,  who  afterwards  became  hope- 
fully pious ;  and  he  will  be  remembered  with  grati- 
tude by  that  ]5eople  to  the  end  of  life. 

Let  all  good  men,  when  they  travel,  as  well  as  at 
home,  keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy ;  and  as  they  have 
opportunity,  do  good,  and  they  will  become  eminently 
benefactors  of  mankind. 

Another  boat  arrived  in  season,  carried  him  safely 
to  his  place  of  destination,  and  in  time  to  accomplish 
the  object  of  his  journey,  as  well  as  if  he  had  not 
stopped  on  the  Sabbath.  Nothing  was  lost  to  him- 
self, while  to  others  his  stopping  was  the  occasion  of 
infinite  gain. 

10.  Eight  lost  to  save  two.  —  Two  men  started 
from  A.  to  go  to  C.  ;  they  arrived  at  D.  on  Satiurday 
night.  On  Sabbath  morning,  one  appeared  to  be 
making  preparation  to  prosecute  his  journey.  The 
other  reminded  him  that  it  was  the  Sabbath.  He 
said  he  knew  it,  and  did  not  like  to  travel ;  but  he 
was  "  peculiarly  situated."  He  must  be  at  C.  by 
such  an  hour,  or  he  should  forfeit  two  hundred  dollars. 
He  could  not  arrive  in  season  without  travelling  on 
the  Sabbath.  Of  course  it  was  a  matter  of  necessity. 
He  7nust  go.  He  did  go.  The  other  stopped  and 
kept  the  Sabbath.  On  Monday,  he  started  and  ar- 
rived in  safety  at  C. 


A  number  of  days  after,  he  unexpectedly  met 
his  companion.  "  Ah,"  said  the  Sabbath-breaker,  "  I 
ought  to  have  stopped,  and  kept  the  Sabbath,  as  you 
did.  I  got  down  in  season,  and  saved  my  two  hun- 
dred dollars ;  but  I  lost  my  pocket-book,  which  had 
in  it  eight  hundred.  So  I  lost  eight  hundred  and 
saved  two.     I  ought  to  have  stopped." 

11.  Two  Companies  from  New  York.  —  These 
two  companies  went  by  way  of  Philadelphia,  Balti- 
more, and  Pittsburg  to  St.  Louis.  From  that  place 
they  returned,  by  way  of  Chicago  and  Buffalo,  to 
New  York.  One  company  uniformly  stopped  on 
the  Sabbath.  The  other  often  pursued  their  jour- 
ney, without  regard  to  this  day,  and  were  found  trav- 
elling on  the  Sabbath. 

In  several  instances,  after  one  company  had  spent 
the  day  in  travelling,  and  the  other  had  rested,  the 
latter,  in  the  course  of  the  week,  passed  by  the  former, 
and  arrived  first  at  their  place  of  destination.  The 
Sabbath-breakers  seemed  not  to  have  any  advantage, 
as  to  the  distance  they  travelled,  over  the  Sabbath- 
keepers.  But  the  advantage  was  manifestly  on  the 
other  side.  This  was  so  often  and  strikingly  the 
case,  that  they  all  returned  with  a  deeper  conviction 
than  before  of  the  utility,  as  well  as  duty,  on  a 
journey,  of  resting  on  the  Sabbath. 

12.  A  Trial  of  fourteen  Years.  —  For  fourteen 

years.  Captain ran  a  steamboat  on  the  Ohio  Canal. 

He  uniformly  lay  by  on  the  Sabbath,  while  other 
boats  were  accustomed  to  run  on  that  as  on  other 
days.  Often,  when  he  started  on  Monday,  he  states 
that,  in  the  course  of  the  week,  he  passed  by  the 
boats  that  started  on  the  Sabbath  ;  that  he  ordinarily 
made  more  trips  in  the  season  than  they  ;  and  that, 
during  the  whole  fourteen  years,  it  was  his  opinion 
that  he  was  not  detained  by  accidents  or  disasters, 
upon  an  average,  an  hour  in  a  year. 


13 

13.  The  Man  and  his  Mother.  —  A  man  and  his 
mother,  late  in  the  season,  were  travelling  up  the 
Ohio  River,  on  their  way  to  Baltimore.  They  were 
afraid  that  the  river  would  freeze  up,  and  concluded, 
on  that  account,  to  continue  their  journey  on  the 
Sabbath.  Another  man,  wh(9  was  on  board  the  same 
boat,  stopped  every  Sabbath,  and,  in  the  course  of  the 
journey,  six  other  days  to  attend  to  business ;  and 
yet  he  arrived  in  Baltimore  as  soon  as  they  did. 

Men  are  dependent  upon  God  ;  and  the  race  is 
not  always  to  the  swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong. 
Let  them  do  right,  and  God  will  give  them  all  needed 
success. 

14.  The  two  Canal  Boats.  —  Two  canal  boats 
were  owned  by  one  man.  He  kept  them  running 
upon  the  Pennsylvania  Canal  on  the  Sabbath,  as 
on  other  days.  The  reasons  for  this,  which  he  was 
able  and  disposed  to  offer,  seemed  to  satisfy  him. 
And  so  they  continued  to  do,  as  long  as  he  con- 
tinued to  be  in  health.  But  when  he  became  sick, 
they  lost  their  power.  He  denounced  them  as 
futile  ;  condemned  himself  for  giving  way  to  them, 
and  died,  bitterly  lamenting  his  wickedness  in 
having  suffered  his  boats  to  run,  and  thus  set  an 
example  not  only  hurtful  to  himself,  but  ruinous  to 
those  who  might  follow  it. 

Sabbath-breaking  gives  no  comfort  on  a  death  bed. 

15.  The  Statesman's  Lamentation.  —  On  one 
of  our  railroads,  a  majority  of  the  stockholders  were 
opposed  to  the  running  of  the  cars  on  the  Sabbath. 
But  a  distinguished  statesman  contended,  and  with 
great  earnestness,  that  the  public  good  required  it. 
He  had  influence  enough  with  the  Board  of  Directors 
to  carry  his  point.  They  decided  that  the  cars  should 
run,  and  thus  they  aided  all  who  wished  to  break  the 
Sabbath  by  travelling  in  their  cars  on  that  day.    Not 

No.  5.  2 


14 

many  years  after,  as  the  statesman  advanced  in  years, 
and  looked  more  seriously  at  himself  and  his  influence 
in  relation  to  eternity,  he  changed  his  views.  He 
saw  and  confessed  the  error  of  his  former  course,  and 
lamented  the  mischief  which  it  had  occasioned,  and 
was  then  occasioning,  Iq  his  fellow-men.  If  it  were 
possible,  he  said,  he  would  gladly  wash  it  away  with 
his  tears.  But  it  was  too  late.  Before  he  could 
counteract  the  mischief,  or  induce  the  directors  to 
stop  their  cars,  he  was  summoned  to  the  bar  of  God  ; 
and  notwithstanding  his  lamentation,  the  cars  which 
he  had  been  instrumental  in  setting  in  motion,  con- 
tinued to  run  on  the  Sabbath,  trampling  on  the  rights 
of  God,  and  injuring  the  souls  of  men. 

Influence  outlives  its  authors,  and  blesses  or  curses 
those  who  succeed  them,  long  after  they  are  dead. 
Let  all  bear  this  in  mind,  and  especially  when  tempted 
to  do  evil. 

16.  Starting  too  soon.  —  A  number  of  farmers 
started  from  the  upper  part  of  New  Hampshire,  in  the 
winter,  with  loaded  sleighs  for  Boston.  They  arrived 
at  Concord  on  Saturday  evening.  During  the  night, 
there  was  a  great  thaw.  In  the  morning,  the  snow 
was  very  much  gone,  and  was  rapidly  diminishing. 
A  part  of  them  started  off"  with  their  loads  in  the  rain, 
and  waded  through  the  mud  and  water,  during  the 
Sabbath.  Their  progress  was  slow ;  their  horses 
were  fatigued ;  their  harnesses  were  broken ;  and  a 
variety  of  troubles  followed  them  through  the  day. 
On  Monday,  the  snow  was  so  much  gone,  that  they 
had  to  unload  and  take  wagons,  where  it  was  much 
more  difficult  to  procure  them  than  it  would  have 
been  at  Concord.  On  their  return,  they  had  at  this 
place  to  unload  again,  and  take  their  sleighs  and  go 
back  the  distance  which  they  travelled  on  the  Sab- 
bath, and  principally  on  the  bare  ground,  and  where 
wagons  would  have  gone  with  much  greater  ease  ! 


15 

Those  who  stopped  and  kept  the  Sabbath,  on 
Monday,  with  their  teams  refreshed,  took  wagons, 
and  went  on  with  ease  to  Boston,  They  got  their 
loads,  and  came  back  to  Concord,  at  much  less  ex- 
pense than  the  others.  There  they  found  more  snow  ; 
took  their  sleighs,  and  were  on  their  way  home 
before  the  others  had  arrived.  Thus  the  Sabbath- 
breakers  suffered  loss  of  time,  and  loss  of  money,  and 
were  at  much  trouble  and  fatigue,  all  of  Avhich  might 
have  been  avoided,  if  they  had  not,  in  their  haste, 
started  too  soon. 

17.  Steamboat  Disaster.  —  On  Sabbath  morning, 
November  21,  1847,  as  the  steamboat  Phoenix  was 
passing  up  the  lake,  she  was  discovered  to  be  on  fire. 
It  was  soon  found  to  be  impossible  to  extinguish  the 
flames.  The  utmost  consternation  prevailed  among 
the  passengers.  Some  plunged  into  the  lake,  and 
were  drowned ;  others  rushed  into  the  flames,  and 
were  consumed.  On  board  were  three  hundred  per- 
sons, viz.,  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  passengers, 
and  twenty-five  of  the  crew.  Forty-five,  it  is  stated, 
were  saved,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty-five  perished. 
{Detroit  Free  Press  Extra.)  They  hoped  to  be 
gainers  by  travelling  on  the  Sabbath  ;  but  they  were 
sadly  disappointed.  Is  it  said  they  might  have  per- 
ished had  they  stopped  ?  Admit  it ;  and  how  forcible 
is  the  declaration  of  Christ,  "  Watch,  therefore,  for  ye 
know  not  what  horn-  your  Lord  doth  come."  "  There- 
fore be  ye  also  ready ;  for  in  such  an  hour  as  ye 
think  not,  the  Son  of  man  cometh."  (Matt.  24: 
42,  44.) 

18.  Statement  of  Henry  Schoolcraft. — In  his 

narrative  of  an  expedition  to  the  sources  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, Schoolcraft  states,  "No  Sabbath  day  was 
employed  in  travelling.  It  was  laid  down  as  a  prin- 
ciple to  rest  on  that  day ;  and  whenever  it  overtook 
b 


16 

us,  whether  on  land  or  on  water,  the  men  knew  that 
their  labor  would  cease,  and  that  the  day  would  he 
given  to  them.  Such  of  them  as  had  an  inclination, 
had  the  further  opportunity  of  hearing  a  portion  of 
the  Scriptures  read,  or  expounded,  or  of  uniting  in 
other  devotional  exercises.  It  may,  perhaps,  be 
thought  that  the  giving  up  of  one  seventh  part  of 
the  time  employed  on  a  public  expedition  in  a  remote 
region,  and  with  many  men  to  subsist,  must  have,  in 
this  ratio,  increased  the  time  devoted  to  the  route. 
But  the  result  was  far  otherwise.  The  time  devoted 
to  recruit  the  men  replenished  them  with  strength. 
They  commenced  the  week's  labors  with  renewed 
zest.  And  this  zest  was  in  a  measure  kept  up  by 
the  reflection  that  the  ensuing  Sabbath  also  would  be 
a  day  of  rest.  It  was  found,  by  computing  the  whole 
route,  and  comparing  the  time  employed  with  that 
which  had  been  devoted  on  similar  routes  in  this 
part  of  the  world,  that  an  equal  space  had  been  gone 
over  in  less  time  than  it  had  ever  been  known  to  be  per- 
formed by  loaded  canoes,  or  by  light  canoes,  before." 
The  Sabbath  was  not  designed,  and  the  keeping  of 
it  holy  is  not  adapted,  on  the  whole,  to  hinder  men^ 
but  to  help  them,  in  the  prosecution  of  their  vv^orldly 
business. 

19.    The  Father  and  his  Son.  — Mr.  was  a 

man  distinguished  for  his  disregard  of  the  Sabbath. 
He  often  employed  his  men  to  carry  on  his  business 
as  on  other  days.  On  a  certain  Sabbath  morning,  he 
had  laid  out  his  business  for  the  day ;  but  while  eat- 
ing his  breakfast,  a  bone  lodged  in  his  throat,  and 
caused  his  death.  His  son  followed  his  example. 
He  visited  his  farms,  examined  the  state  of  the  cattle, 
and  in  various  ways  desecrated  the  Lord's  day.  One 
Sabbath  morning,  as  he  was  on  his  way  to  his  farm, 
an  assassin  waylaid  and  killed  him.  Not  long  before 
this,  he  was  visited  by  a  Sabbath-keeping  friend,  who, 


17 

observing  the  wickedness  of  his  people,  asked  him 
why  he  did  not  build  a  church,  and  have  his  people 
attend  public  worship,  adding,  ''  I  should  be  afraid  to 
live  among  them,  lest  they  should  murder  me." 

Not  long  after,  he  was  murdered,  and  the  assassin 
was  hung.  Thus  were  two  men  ushered  into  eterni- 
ty for  want  of  that  moral  influence  and  Christian  in- 
struction which  the  Sabbath  day,  with  its  means  of 
grace,  is  adapted  to  impart ;  and  for  the  want  of 
which,  multitudes,  every  year,  are  brought  to  an  un- 
timely grave. 

20.  Sabbath-breaking  and  Crime.  —  A  distin- 
guished gentleman  of  the  bar,  who  has  long  been  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  the  business  of  courts,  —  himself 
a  member  of  no  Christian  church,  but  exemplary  in 
his  deportment,  and  free  from  all  outward  vices, — re- 
marked that  he  did  not  recollect  a  case  of  a  criminal, 
found  guilty  in  a  court  of  justice,  who  was  not  an  ha- 
bitual Sabbath-breaker.  He  knew  of  no  one  thing 
in  which  criminals  were  so  universally  agreed,  as 
in  their  disregard  of  the  Sabbath.  And  he  added, 
<'  There  is  no  moral  integrity  in  a  Sabbath-breaker." 

A  distinguished  police  officer,  of  long  experience, 
in  determining  in  his  own  mind  whether  persons  sus- 
pected of  crimes  were  guilty  or  not,  was  accustomed, 
he  says,  to  inquii'e,  first  of  all,  "  How  do  they  spend 
the  Sabbath  ? "  If  he  found  that  they  spent  it  in 
dissipation  and  amusement,  he  prosecuted  his  inquiries 
with  vigor,  expecting,  from  extensive  observation, 
that  he  should  find  them  to  be  guilty.  What,  then, 
are  the  men  doing  who  break  the  Sabbath  or  induce 
others  to  do  it  ?  Undermining  their  moral  integrity, 
incresising  their  liability  to  the  comrnission  of  crimes, 
and  waiTing  against  the  great  interests  of  man. 

21.  Fifteen  Young  Men. — At  a  respectable 
boarding-house  in  New  York,  a  number  of  years  ago, 

2* 


18 

were  fifteen  young  men.  Six  of  them  uniformly  ap- 
peared at  the  breakfast  table  on  Sabbath  morning, 
shaved,  dressed,  and  prepared,  as  to  their  apparel,  for 
attendance  on  public  worship.  They  also  all  actually 
attended,  both  forenoon  and  afternoon.  All  became 
highly  respected  and  useful  citizens.  The  other  nine 
were  ordinarily  absent  from  the  breakfast  table  on 
Sabbath  morning.  At  noon,  they  appeared  at  the  din- 
ner table,  shaved  and  dressed  in  a  decent  manner.  In 
the  afternoon,  they  went  out,  but  not  ordinarily  to 
church ;  nor  were  they  usually  seen  in  any  place  of 
public  worship.  One  of  them  is  now  living,  and  in  a 
reputable  employment ;  the  other  eight  became  open- 
ly vicious.  All  failed  in  business,  and  are  now  dead. 
Several  of  them  came  to  an  untimely  and  awfully  tra- 
gical end. 

Many  a  man  may  say,  as  did  a  worthy  and  opulent 
citizen,  "The  keeping  of  the  Sabbath  saved  me."  It 
will,  if  duly  observed,  save  all.  In  the  language  of 
its  Author,  "  They  shall  ride  upon  the  high  places  of 
the  earth,"  and  he  will  feed  them  with  the  heritage 
of  his  people. 

22.  Afraid  to  follow  their  Example. — A  man 
asked  his  neighbor  why  he  did  not  follow  the  example 
of  certain  persons  who  had  ceased  to  support  the  gos- 
pel, and  withdrawn  from  public  worship.  He  said,  "  I 
am  afraid  to  do  it."  "  Afraid  !  What  do  you  mean  by 
that  ?"  ''I  have  for  a  long  time,"  said  he,  "been  ac- 
customed to  observe  the  condition  of  the  men  who 
take  that  course ;  and  when  I  see  how  generally  and 
rapidly,  from  that  time,  they  go  downward,  /  am 
afraid  to folloio  their  example.''^  "Them  that  honor 
me  I  will  honor,  and  they  that  despise  me  shall  be 
lightly  esteemed."''  (1  Samuel  2:  30.) 

23.  The  reckless  Man.  — A  man  who  was  reck- 
less with  regard  to  the  means  of  grace,  professed  to 


19 

believe  that  it  was  not  wicked  to  disregard  the  Sab- 
bath. One  time,  when  he  heard  of  a  person  being 
killed  by  lightning,  while  at  work  on  this  day,  he  was 
particularly  profane,  and  defied  the  Almighty  to  try 
his  lightning  on  him.  He  was  afterwards  at  work  in 
the  woods,  and  there  came  up  a  thunder  shower.  He 
started  for  home,  and  as  he  came  out  into  the  field, 
the  lightning  struck  him,  making  two  holes  through 
his  hat,  scathing  in  a  shocking  manner  his  breast  and 
different  parts  of  his  body,  and  passed  off  at  his  feet. 
He  fell  to  the  earth,  and  for  a  time  was  senseless. 
He  afterward  revived,  and  was  able  to  get  to  his  home. 
"  There,"  said  a  distinguished  and  excellent  man, 
who  gave  the  writer  this  account,  "  I  saw  him :  he 
is  still  alive.  But  whenever  a  thunder  storm  is  com- 
ing, he  begins  to  feel  a  burning  sensation  throughout 
his  body,  which,  as  the  storm  increases,  becomes  so 
intense,  that  they  are  obliged  to  keep  him  covered 
with  water,  till  the  shower  subsides,  in  order  to  miti- 
gate his  torment." 

24.  Cheating  the  Lord.  —  A  man  in  Massachu- 
setts, regardless  of  the  Sabbath,  had  been  engaged  on 
this  day  in  gathering  in  his  grain.  He  afterwards 
remarked  to  his  neighbor,  that  he  had  fairly  cheated 
the  Lord  out  of  one  day.  But  on  Tuesday  of  that 
week,  his  barn  was  struck  with  lightning,  and  with 
its  contents  was  consumed. 

It  is  not  so  easy  to  cheat  the  Lord  as  some  men 
imagine  ;  nor  is  it  in  the  end  so  profitable.  He  who 
made  the  eye,  shall  he  not  see  ?  he  who  made  the  ear, 
shall  not  he  hear  ?  and  he  who  has  the  universe  at 
his  disposal,  shall  he  not  maintain  his  rights  and  vin- 
dicate his  honor  ?  If  not  now,  will  he  not  hereafter  ? 
Though  for  a  time  he  let  his  enemies  prosper,  though 
they  set  their  mouth  against  the  heavens,  and  say, 
"  Where  is  the  promise  of  his  coming  ?  "  yet  in  due 
time  will  he  come.     And  for  every  idle  word  which 


20 

men  have  spoken,  he  will  call  them  to  give  account. 
(Matt.  2:  36.) 

25.  Listen  to  him.  —  In  a  seapart  town,  notice  was 
given  that  a  distinguished  preacher  would  deliver  a 
discourse  on  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath.  A  large 
congregation  assembled,  and  the  preacher,  after  the 
usual  introductory  exercises,  named  his  text,  and 
seemed  about  to  proceed,  when  he  suddenly  leaned 
down  upon  the  pulpit,  and  remained  silent.  The 
audience  supposed  that  he  was  unwell.  But  he  soon 
rose  up,  and  said,  "  Before  entering  on  my  discourse, 
I  will  relate  an  anecdote.  It  is  fifteen  years  since 
I  was  last  in  this  place  of  worship.  The  occasion 
was  then  the  same  which  has  now  brought  us 
together.  Among  those  who  then  assembled  were 
three  young  men,  who  came  for  the  purpose  of 
insulting  and  abusing  the  preacher.  They  had  stones 
in  their  pockets  to  throw  at  him,  as  he  stood  in  the 
pulpit.  They  listened  for  a  time,  when  one  of  them 
said,  '  Throw.'  '  Stop,'  said  another  ;  '  let  us  first  see 
what  he  will  make  of  this  point.'  His  curiosity  was 
soon  satisfied,  and  he  said,  '  Confound  him,  it  is  as  1 
expected:  now  throw.'  But  the  third  interposed,  and 
said,  they  had  better  give  up  their  design,  and  not 
do  any  thing.  At  this,  the  other  two  took  offence, 
and  left  the  house.  This  one  remained  to  the  close 
of  the  service.  Now,  mark,"  said  the  preacher,  with 
strong  emotion,  "  what  was  the  fate  of  these  young 
men.  The  first  was  hanged  for  forgery.  The 
second  is  now  lying  in  the  jail,  in  this  city,  under 
sentence  of  death  for  murder.  The  third,"  said  the 
preacher,  as  he  wiped  the  great  drops  from  his  face, 
"  is  he  who  is  about  to  address  you.  Listen  to 
him.''^ 

Must  not  every  heart  in  that  immense  congregation 
have  been  ready  to  echo,  ''  Listen  to  him  "  ?  One  is 
taken  and  others  are  left ;  and  prominent  among  the 


21 

influences  that  work  these  opposite  results  is  the  dif- 
ference in  their  treatment  of  the. Sabbath.  The  due 
observance  of  it  is  a  savor  of  hfe  unto  Hfe  ;  the 
desecration  of  it,  of  death  unto  death. 

26.  Vessels  in  the  Mississippi.  —  With  adverse 
winds,  against  a  strong  current,  and  with  many  difficul- 
ties, a  number  of  vessels  were  trying  to  ascend  the  Mis- 
sissippi. The  Sabbath  came,  and  the  men  on  board 
one  of  these  vessels  ceased  their  efforts,  and  lay  by 
through  the  day.  The  others  continued  their  efforts. 
All  hands  were  employed,  hoping  thereby  the  sooner 
to  reach  New  Orleans.  On  Monday,  the  vessel  that 
lay  by  started  again,  with  all  hands  refreshed  and  in- 
vigorated by  their  day  of  rest.  Before  their  arrival, 
she  passed  the  others,  was  the  first  to  reach  the  city, 
with  her  men  in  high  spirits  ;  while  the  others  were 
lagging  behind,  with  their  men  jaded  and  worn  out, 
for  Avant  of  rest.  He  who  has  the  winds  in  his  fists, 
and  the  waters  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  has  not  com- 
manded men  to  rest  from  their  worldly  employments 
on  the  Sabbath  for  the  purpose  of  hindering  them,  or 
in  any  way  doing  them  hurt ;  but  for  the  purpose  of 
aiding  them,  and  promoting  their  success  in  all  their 
lawful  and  proper  concerns.  Those  who  rebel  against 
wise  and  good  arrangements  despise  their  own  mercies. 

27.  Making  Haste  to  be  rich.  —  A  young  man 
in  New  England,  of  industrious  habits,  and  a  strong 
desire  to  be  rich,  let  himself  to  work  by  the  month,  to 
a  farmer  in  the  neighborhood.  Six  days  in  a  week  he 
labored  for  his  employer,  and  on  the  seventh  he  la- 
bored for  himself,  on  a  piece  of  land  which  he  owned 
in  the  vicinity.  He  hoped  in  this  way  to  gain  prop- 
erty faster  than  he  could  by  resting  on  the  Sabbath. 
He  sowed  his  field  with  grain.  It  grew  finely,  and 
he  expected  an  abundant  crop.  In  harvest  time,  he 
procured  assistance,  and  went  out  on  a  certain  Sab- 


bath  to  reap  it,  and  put  it  into  a  stack  in  the  field. 
They  brought  it  together,  and  there  was  the  appear- 
ance of  a  storm.  It  began  to  thunder  and  lighten. 
They  made  haste  ;  but  before  they  could  so  stack  as 
to  secure  it,  the  rain  came.  They  ran  for  home. 
But  they  had  not  gotten  out  of  the  field  wlien  the 
lightning  struck  the  stack,  and  the  grain  was  con- 
sumed. "  He  that  maketh  haste  to  be  rich  shall  not 
be  innocent."    (Prov.  28  :  20.) 

28.  He  was  afraid.  —  A  gentleman  in  Boston 
wished  to  go  to  London  to  attend  a  great  sale  of 
goods  which  was  advertised  to  take  place  on  a  certain 
specified  day.  The  steamer  in  which  he  wished  to 
go  was  to  leave  on  the  Sabbath.  That  he  knew 
was  wrong,  and  he  did  not  like  to  go  in  her.  But  he 
was  afraid,  that,  should  he  wait  for  another  opportu- 
nity, or  take  a  packet,  he  would  not  arrive  in  season 
to  attend  the  sale  ;  so,  notwithstanding  his  reluctance, 
he  took  the  steamer,  and  left  Boston  on  the  Sabbath. 
Soon  they  were  enveloped  in  fog,  and  exposed  to 
great  danger.  The  boat  broke  her  machinery,  and 
they  were  detained  a  number  of  days.  The  voyage 
was  long  and  tedious,  and  he  did  not  arrive  in  London 
till  the  sale  was  past,  nor  as  soon  by  a  number  of 
days  as  he  might  have  done,  had  he  waited  and 
taken  the  packet,  which  sailed  on  a  week  day. 
When  men  do  what  they  know  to  be  wrong  for  the 
sake  of  making  money,  they  are  often  disappointed, 
and  find  it  to  be  bitterness  in  the  end.  '•'  A  prudent 
man  foreseeth  the  evil,  and  hideth  himself;  but  the 
simple  pass  on,  and  are  punished."     (Prov.  22.) 

29.  Twenty-five  percent,  lost. — A  gentleman, 
living  in  a  large  city,  dealt  extensively  in  the  article 
of  pressed  hay.  At  one  time,  there  was  a  very  great 
scarcity,  and  of  course  the  article  was  very  high. 
A  vessel  loaded  with  hay  arrived  at  the  wharf   on 


23 

Sabbath  morning.  Had  it  been  on  any  other  day, 
this  man  would  have  been  there,  among  the  first, 
anxious  to  buy.  But  as  it  was  the  Sabbath,  he  did 
not  appear,  but  staid  at  home,  kept  the  Sabbath,  and 
attended  church  as  usual.  A  number  of  his  neigh- 
bors raUied  around  the  vessel,  and  bought  the  hay, 
though  at  a  very  high-  price.  Soon  after,  knowing 
the  high  price  of  hay,  a  number  of  other  vessels 
arrived,  with  hay  equally  good.  The  market  being 
partially  supplied,  it  was  sold  at  a  much  lower  price, 
and  those  who  bought  their  hay  on  the  Sabbath  lost 
upon  it  about  twenty-five  per  cent.  It  is  often  best 
to  make  haste  slowly. 

30.  Unreasonable  Irritation.  —  A  man  of  great 
wealth  and  influence  became  exceedingly  angry  with 
certain  of  his  neighbors,  on  account  of  their  efforts 
to  promote  a  better  observance  of  the  Lord's  day. 
He  violently  opposed  them,  and  such  was  his  great 
influence,  that  he  was  successful.  Their  efforts  were 
counteracted,  and  failed  to  accomplish  much  of  the 
good  which  they  had  hoped.  Not  long  after,  this 
man  became  exceedingly  unhappy.  Without  any 
apparent  cause,  he  was  distressed.  His  appetite 
failed ;  his  sleep  departed ;  he  could  get  scarcely  any 
rest,  day  or  night.  He  became  emaciated,  and  finally 
apparently  insane.  The  account  which  he  gave  of 
himself  was,  that  the  hand  of  the  Lord  had  smitten 
him,  because  of  his  profanation  of  the  Sabbath,  and 
of  his  opposition  to  those  who  were  making  efforts 
to  promote  its  observance. 

Sabbath  desecration,  for  a  time,  in  health  can  be 
borne,  and  sometimes  is  a  source  of  present  pleasure  ; 
but  at  the  last,  like  known  sin  of  every  sort,  it  bites 
like  a  serpent  and  stings  like  an  adder.  Multitudes 
have  closed  life  lamenting,  with  exceedingly  bitter 
lamentation,  their  desecration  of  this  holy  day, 
while  none  are  known  to  experience  joy  from  it  in 
death. 


24 

31.  Card  Playing  and  Smoking. — A  number  of 
young  men  went  out,  on  the  Sabbath,  to  a  barn  be- 
longing to  a  large  stage  tavern,  for  the  purpose  of 
playing  at  cards.  After  playing  for  a  considerable 
time,  smoking  cigars,  and  carousing,  the  barn  was 
discovered  to  be  on  fire.  Great  efforts  were  made  to 
save  it,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  The  fire  raged  with 
great  fury,  and  the  barns,  out-houses,  tavern,  stage- 
-coaches, horses,    and    numerous  other  things,    were 

destroyed.  They  had  a  sort  of  momentary  pleasure 
in  their  Sabbath  day  sports,  but  it  was  bitterness  in 
the  end  ;  and  one  of  the  condemning  traits  of  Sab- 
bath-breaking is  its  wofully  dismal  end. 

32.  The  Governor's  Reply.  —  The  governor  of 
one  of  the  United  States,  the  Saturday  after  he  came 
into  office,  was  asked,  by  his  cook,  how  many  plates 
he  should  put  upon  the  table,  for  guests,  on  the  Sab- 
bath. The  governor  replied,  "  I  do  not  have  guests 
on  the  Sabbath."  The  cook  then  inquired,  "  What 
will  your  excellency  have  for  dinner  to-morrow  ? " 
The  governor  I'e plied,  "  We  will  have  cold  what  is 
cooked  to-day.  1  attend  public  worship  on  the  Sab- 
bath, and  I  wish  to  have  you  attend  too." 

33.  Discussion  of  the  Bishops.  —  A  number  of 
bishops  and  elders  of  the  churches  were  on  their 
way  together  to  attend  an  ecclesiastical  meeting. 
On  Saturday,  they  discussed  the  question  whether 
it  would  be  right  for  them  to  continue  their  journey 
on  the  Sabbath.  It  appeared  to  them  to  be  exceed- 
ingly important  that  they  should  be  present  at  the 
opening  of  the  meeting,  but  they  thought  that  they 
could  not,  unless  they  should  travel  on  the  Sabbath. 
A  part  of  them  stopped  and  kept  the  day  holy.  The 
other  part  concluded  that,  as  they  were  on  the  Lord's 
business,  they  might  continue  their  journey  on  the 
Lord's  day.  They  did  so.  But  they  did  not  arrive 
at  the  place  of  meeting  so  soon   as  the  others  by 


25 

about  fifteen  hours.  There  was  no  miracle  in  this ; 
but  there  were  laws  which  God  has  established ;  and 
there  was  providence  over  which  he  presides,  and 
which  he  controls.  And  there  were  events  which 
they  could  neither  foresee,  withstand,  nor  evade, 
which  hindered  them  and  carried  the  others  forward 
before  them  to  their  place  of  destination. 

34.  Boat  or  no  Boat.  —  Two  gentlemen  were  at 
a  distance  from  home,  and  both  were  anxious  to  re- 
turn as  soon  as  practicable.  A  steamboat,  on  which 
they  might  go,  was  to  start  on  Sabbath  morning. 
One  of  the  men  was  determined  to  go  in  her,  and  he 
strongly  urged  his  companion  to  accompany  him ;  but 
he  refused,  because  it  was  the  Sabbath  day.  The 
other  repeated  his  solicitations ;  but  he  still  refused, 
saying  that  it  was  contrary  to  his  principles  to  travel 
on  the  Sabbath.  "  But  what  is  the  use,"  said  his 
companion,  "  of  being  so  particular,  and  losing  a  good 
opportunity  ?  No  one  knows  when  another  boat  will 
go,  and  you  may  have  to  stay  here,  nobody  knows 
how  long."  "  Well,"  said  the  man,  '^  boat  or  no  boat, 
I  will  not  go  on  the  Sabbath."  So  tliey  parted.  One 
went  on  board  the  boat,  and  soon  after  she  left  the 
wharf,  the  boiler  burst,  and  he  was  killed.  Nothing 
was  gained  by  him  in  leaving  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
nothing  lost  by  his  companion  in  consequence  of  his 
inflexible  determination,  boat  or  no  boat,  to  refrain 
from  its  violation. 

35.  Four  young  Men.  —  One  of  them  deter- 
mined to  go  to  a  stream  of  water,  at  a  distance,  on 
the  Sabbath,  and  bathe.  His  friends  dissuaded  him, 
and  induced  him  to  accompany  them  to  public  wor- 
ship. After  service,  however,  without  the  knowledge 
of  his  friends,  he  went  to  the  river,  and  was  after- 
wards found  in  the  water,  dead. 

Another  went  on  Sabbath  afternoon  to  bring  home 
No.  5.  3 


26 

the  cows.  On  his  way,  he  came  to  a  creek,  and  went 
in  to  bathe.  After  wading  some  distance  from  the 
shore,  he  saw,  or  thought  he  saw,  a  large  snake  com- 
ing after  him,  and  he  ran  with  the  utmost  haste 
toward  the  shore.  His  feet  became  entangled  in  a 
thicket  of  weeds,  and  he  fell  on  his  face  into  the  wa- 
ter and  was  drowned,  although  the  water  there,  when 
he  stood  upright,  was  not  up  to  his  chin. 

A  third  took  his  gun,  and  went  out  on  the  Sabbath 
to  shoot  some  game.  On  his  way  he  came  to  a  fence. 
He  put  over  the  gim,  keeping  hold  of  the  top  of  it 
with  his  hand ;  and  while  getting  over  himself,  his 
gun  unexpectedly  went  oiF,  shot  him  through  the 
body,  and  killed  him.  His  expected  pleasure  in  hunt- 
ing vanished  as  a  dream  when  one  awake  th. 

A  fourth  stole  some  powder  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
put  it  into  his  pocket.  He  afterwards  put  into  the 
same  pocket  part  of  a  cigar  which  he  had  been  smok- 
ing. The  powder  exploded,  and  he  was  so  burnt 
that  he  died  the  next  evening. 

36.  It  seemed  to  vanish.  — =  What  seemed  to  van- 
ish ?  The  property  of  a  man  who  was  noted  for  his 
disregard  of  the  Sabbath.  He  worked  on  this  as  on 
other  days,  and  required  those  whom  he  employed 
to  do  the  same.  He  finally  went  so  far  that  he  would 
not  hire  a  man  unless  he  would  work  on  the  Sabbath. 
He  was  active  and  enterprising,  and  acquired  a  large 
property.  He  owned  a  sloop,  and  went  in  her  up  the 
river,  by  which  he  lived,  to  a  distant  place.  Having 
finished  his  business,  he  set  out  on  Sabbath  morning 
to  return.  The  wind  was  high,  the  water  rough,  and 
in  changing  the  sails  he  was  knocked  overboard.  He 
sank,  but  rose  again,  and  cried  loudly  for  help.  They 
heard  him  also  calling  upon  God,  and  beseeching  him, 
whose  day  he  had  desecrated,  to  have  mercy  upon 
him ;  but  before  they  could  stop  the  vessel  and  get 
back  to  him  he  had  sunk,  and  it  was  a  number  of  days 
before  his  body  was  found.     Said  his  friend,  in  relat- 


27 

mg  this  case,  ^' After  his  decease,  his  great  houses  went 
into  other  hands,  and  his  property  seemed  to  vanish." 

37.  The  Infidel  and  his  Horses. — An  infidel 
was  the  owner  of  a  large  number  of  horses.  He  had 
been  engaged  for  many  years  in  extensive  business, 
and  had  observed  the  effects  of  working  horses  six 
days  in  a  week  only,  and  also  the  effects  of  working 
them  seven.  Some  of  his  acquaintances  were  making 
special  efforts  to  promote  the  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath. He  favored  their  object,  and  aided  them  in 
their  efforts.  They  maintained  that  the  Bible  requires 
men  to  keep  the  Sabbath,  He  said  he  did  not  know 
about  that ;  he  did  not  know  much  about  the  Bible ; 
but  one  thing  he  knew — "  Horses  require  a  Sabbath, 
and  they  cannot  live  and  be  healthy  without.  They 
must  have  a  day  of  rest,  or  they  will  be  sickly,  weak, 
and  will  soon  die."  So  say  the  facts ;  and  also  that 
horses  which  are  permitted  to  rest  one  day  in  a  week, 
according  to  the  command  of  God,  will,  in  the  course 
of  their  lives,  do  more  work,  and  in  a  better  manner, 
than  those  can  do  that  are  kept  at  work  the  whole 
seven.  The  nature  of  man  and  beast  requires  obedi- 
ence, on  the  part  of  man,  to  the  command  of  his 
Maker  ;  and  in  obeying  it  he  will  find  great  reward. 

38.  Three  Weeks'  Experiment. — In  constructing 
a  canal  through  one  of  the  United  States,  the  work- 
men on  one  part  of  it  uniformly  rested  from  their  la- 
bors on  the  Sabbath.  At  one  time,  however,  as  they 
went  forward  with  their  work,  they  came  to  a  point 
where  it  was  thought  by  the  director  that  it  would 
be  needful  to  let  in  the  water  in  about  three  weeks. 
Fearing  that  the  necessary  work  would  not  be  done, 
he  gave  orders  not  to  stop  on  the  Sabbath,  but  to 
keep  both  men  and  teams  at  work.  The  first  week, 
as  related  by  a  man  employed  in  the  work,  things 
went  on  well,  and  they  made  good  progress.  Before 
the  close  of  the  second  week,  men  and  teams  began 


2S 

evidently  to  falter,  for  want  of  the  day  of  rest  and  re- 
freshment to  which  they  had  been  accustomed.  They, 
however,  continued  their  labors  through  the  second 
Sabbath,  as  they  had  done  through  the  first.  By  the 
close  of  the  third  week  they  were  so  jaded  and  worn 
out  that  they  could  not  do  in  a  day  what  they  had 
been  accustomed  to  accomplish  with  ease  ;  and  the 
man  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  they  had  not  accom- 
plished, in  those  three  weeks,  as  much  as  they  would 
have  accomplished  had  they  continued,  as  before,  to 
rest  on  the  Sabbath.  What,  then,  would  be  their 
condition,  should  they  continue  to  work  on  the  Sab- 
bath for  three  months,  and  through  the  year  ? 

When  the  French  atheists,  for  the  sake  of  banishing 
from  the  French  mind  the  idea  of  a  God,  decreed 
that  their  periods  of  labor  should  be  ten  days  each, 
instead  of  six,  —  after  trying  it,  the  French  farmers 
became  very  much  dissatisfied  with  it.  They  said 
it  injured  their  cattle.  And  it  was  found  that  neither 
men  nor  beasts  could  do  as  much  work  on  that  plan 
as  they  could  on  the  plan  of  divine  appointment. 

39.  Travellers  from  the  Pacific.  —  A  number 
of  men  who  had  been  engaged  in  the  fur  trade,  trav- 
elled from  Oregon  to  St.  Louis.  For  some  weeks, 
they  travelled  without  regard  to  the  Sabbath,  and 
without  any  day  of  rest.  The  men  became  fatigued, 
enfeebled,  and  sickly.  They  were  obliged  to  stop. 
They  were  apprehensive  that  they  should  not  suc- 
ceed in  accomplishing  their  journey.  After  consul- 
tation, they  concluded  to  rest  every  Sabbath.  They 
did  so.  Their  health  became  better.  Their  strength 
was  increased.  They  made  greater  progress,  and 
with  less  fatigue,  and  were  all  convinced  that  one 
prominent  cause  of  their  former  difficulty  was  their 
want  of  rest.  ''  Indeed,"  said  an  old  man  of  eighty, 
who  was  himself  one  of  the  company,  "  I  do  not 
believe,  if  we  had  not  altered  our  course,  that  we 
should   have   reached    St.    Louis."      However   that 


29 

might  have  been,  one  thing  was  certain  —  they  had 
practical  demonstration  that  the  Sabbath  was  made 
for  man,  not  as  a  day  of  secular  business,  or  travel- 
ling, but  as  a  day  of  rest ;  and  that  in  devoting  it  to 
its  appropriate  use,  men  are  gainers. 

A  number  of  loaded  teams,  on  a  certain  occasion, 
started  from  Baltimore  for  Providence.  A  part  of 
them  lay  by  on  the  Sabbath,  and  the  other  part  trav- 
elled every  day  in  the  week.  The  former  were  the 
first  to  arrive  in  Providence,  and  with  their  teams 
in  much  better  order  than  were  the  teams  of  their 
neighbors. 

The  number,  variety,  and  uniformity  of  such  facts 
show  conclusively  that  the  foundation  for  the  Sab- 
bath is  laid  in  the  nature  of  things ;  and  that  when 
God  commands  men  to  remember  it,  and  keep  it 
holy,  he  only  requires  what  their  own  nature  demands  ; 
and  that  when  he  forbids  men,  on  this  day,  to  employ 
in  worldly  business  their  beasts  of  burden,  he  does  it 
for  their  good.  It  is  saying,  in  the  kindest  and  most 
emphatic  manner,  ''Do  thyself  no  harm." 

40.  Six  Days  and  seven. — A  young  man  estab- 
lished himself  in  one  of  our  principal  cities  in  the 
business  of  a  physician.  He  was  told,  by  a  friend, 
that  his  earnings,  by  needful  attention  to  the  sick  on 
the  Sabbath,  he  ought  not  to  lay  up  for  himself,  but 
he  ought  to  devote  them  to  charitable  objects.  He, 
however,  thought  it  not  best  to  do  so,  and  he  put 
them  in  with  his  other  earnings.  He  had  a  good 
run  of  business,  and  for  a  time  prospered.  But  there 
was  a  change,  and  he  failed,  lost  his  property,  and 
was  still  in  debt  beyond  his  ability  to  pay.  He, 
however,  continued  the  business  of  his  profession, 
but  changed  his  course  with  regard  to  his  earnings 
on  the  Sabbath.  Instead  of  appropriating  them  to 
his  own  use,  as  before,  he  devoted  them  to  charitable 
objects.  He  paid  off  his  debts,  acquired  a  handsome 
3* 


property,  and  when  he  related  to  the  writer  the  above 
facts,  was  in  business  which  was  worth  to  him  sev- 
eral thousand  dollars  a  year.  In  his  vicinity,  he  said, 
were  two  brothers,  who  started  in  good  business  about 
the  same  time.  One  of  them  followed  it  diligently 
six  days  in  a  week,  the  other  seven.  The  latter 
failed,  and  lost  all ;  the  other  continued  to  do  well, 
and  is  still  in  prosperous  business. 

Through  the  whole  street  in  which  the  physician 
above  mentioned  lives,  embracing  a  large  number  of 
business  establishments,  every  man  who  has  prose- 
cuted his  business  on  the  Sabbath  has  failed  ;  while 
others,  who  confined  their  efforts  to  six  days  in  a 
week,  have  succeeded,  and  are  doing  well. 

41.  The  Buffalo  Schooner. — A  schooner  lay 
at  Buffalo.  Her  papers  were  made  out,  and  her  cargo 
was  ready  on  Saturday  night.  On  Sabbath  morning 
before  she  left  the  harbor,  a  gentleman  went  on  board, 
to  distribute  among  the  sailors  religious  books.  They 
treated  him  with  scorn,  and  harshly  drove  him  from 
the  vessel.  He  went  away,  and  prepared  a  letter  to 
be  delivered  to  them  on  their  return.  But  they  never 
returned.  They  met  a  tremendous  storm,  ran  into 
port,  and  cast  anchor,  but  were  driven  out  again  into 
the  lake,  and  were  afterwards  not  heard  of  The 
vessel  was  found  blown  upon  the  beach,  but  nothing 
was  heard  of  the  men.  They  had,  probably,  all 
found  a  watery  grave ;  which,  had  they  remained  in 
the  harbor  of  Buffalo  till  Monday,  they  might  have 
escaped. 

42.  The  three  Vessels.  —  They  were  all,  at  a 
certain  time,  during  the  war  of  the  United  States  with 
Great  Britain,  in  the  same  harbor,  and  were  bound  to 
the  same  port.  They  were  loaded  and  ready  for 
sea.  Two  of  them  sailed  on  the  Sabbath  ;  the  other 
waited  till  Monday.     She  had  a  good  voyage,  and 


31 

arrived  in  her  destined  port  a  number  of  days  before 
the  others.  They  sold  her  cargo  to  great  advantage, 
loaded  again,  and  returned  in  safety.  The  other/;, 
not  arriving  till  the  market  was  partially  supplied, 
could  not  do  as  well.  They,  however,  sold  their  car- 
goes, and  loaded  again.  But  on  their  return,  they 
were  both  taken  by  the  enemy.  The  owner  of  the 
other  vessel,  in  relating  the  above  to  the  writer, 
expressed  a  strong  conviction,  after  many  years' 
experience,  that  men  are  not  ordinarily  losers  by 
keeping  the  Sabbath.  Extended  and  long-continued 
observation  has  led  multifudes  to  the  same  conclu- 
sion. If  no  vessel  left  a  harbor  on  the  Sabbath,  it 
would,  it  is  believed,  greatly  promote  the  benefit  of  all. 

43.  The  Farmer  and  his  Men.  —  A  wealthy 
farmer  was  accustomed  to  send  his  hay  to  market  by 
water.  When  his  sloop  returned,  the  latter  part  of 
the  week,  he  would,  if  possible,  have  her  loaded  so 
as  to  start  on  the  Sabbath.  He  seemed  to  make  his 
calculations  in  order  to  keep  his  men  at  work.  For 
a  time  he  prospered,  and  acquired  property.  It,  how- 
ever, afterwards  began  to  diminish.  One  thing  after 
another  Avorked  against  him,  and  occasioned  losses, 
til],  without  any  great  calamity,  or  surprising  judg- 
ments, he  became  poor.  He  strove  with  all  his  might 
to  avoid  poverty ;  but  it  came  upon  him.  He  laid 
out  great  plans,  but  they  did  not  succeed  ;  while  his 
neighbors,  with  apparently  fewer  facilities  for  the 
acquisition  of  property  than  he  had,  but  who  confined 
their  efi'orts  to  the  time  which  God  had  made  for  this 
purpose,  continued  to  prosper.  "  The  blessing  of  the 
Lord  maketh  rich,  and  he  addeth  no  sorrow  with 
it."     (Prov.   10:  22.) 

44.  "You    WERE    RIGHT,    AND    I    WAS  WRONG."  A 

gentleman  at  the  south  had  engaged  a  New  England 
mechanic    to   build  him  a   carriage.     Before  it  was 


as 


done,  the  gentleman  came  into  the  town  where  the 
mechanic  lived.  On  Sabbath  morning,  he  sent  him 
a  note,  saying,  that,  as  he  must  leave  early  on  Mon- 
day morning,  he  wished  to  see  him,  and  make  some 
arrangements  about  the  carriage.  The  mechanic, 
knowing  that  he  was  a  high-spirited  man,  appre- 
hended that  if  he  should  not  see  him,  he  would  be 
offended  ;  and  that  he  might  not  take  the  carriage. 
As  he  was  a  man  of  great  wealth  and  influence,  he 
might  injure  his  business  in  the  part  of  the  country 
where  he  lived.  He,  however,  had  adopted  and  acted 
on  the  principle  of  not '  attending  to  any  secular 
business  on  the  Sabbath.  He  therefore  determined 
to  adhere  to  his  former  practice,  and  risk  the  conse- 
quences. He  sat  down  and  wrote  the  gentleman  a 
note,  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  his,  and  inform- 
ing him  that  it  was  not  his  practice  to  transact 
business  on  the  Sabbath,  and  that  he  could  not  see 
him  for  that  purpose,  but  that  he  would  see  him  as 
early  as  he  might  wish  on  Monday  morning.  Early 
on  Monday  morning,  the  gentleman  called.  But  in- 
stead of  being  angry,  as  the  mechanic  feared,  he  met 
him  kindly,  and  politely  apologized  for  his  troubling 
him  with  the  note  on  the  Sabbath,  saying,  ''  You, 
szV,  ivcre  right,  and  I  was  wrongs  He  did  his 
business,  took  the  carriage,  and  became  his  special 
friend.  He  was  a  man  of  discernment,  and  he  evi- 
dently respected  the  mechanic  the  more  for  his  prin- 
ciples, and  his  decision  in  doing  what  he  thought  to 
be  right.  The  mechanic  prospered,  and  became  a 
man  of  wealth. 

''  Trust  in  the  Lord,  and  do  good ;  so  shalt  thou 
dwell  in  the  land,  and  verily  thou  shalt  be  fed." 
(Psalm  37:  3.) 

45.  They  all  failed. — In  the  town  of ,  it 

was  customary  for  the  men  who  were  engaged  in 
certain  kinds  of  business  to  continue  their  operations 


33 

through  the  Sabbath.  They  contended  that  it  was 
necessary,  and  that  the  good  of  the  community  re- 
quired it.  The  business  was  lucrative ;  and  yet  every 
man  engaged  in  it  failed.  Many  lost  not  only  their 
property,  but  their  character.  Several  of  them  aban- 
doned their  families,  and  absconded.  One  went  on 
board  a  steamboat,  which  took  fire  and  was  consumed. 
Most  of  the  passengers  were  lost,  and  he  was  never 
afterwards  heard  of. 

46.  The  powerful  young  Man. — A  young  man 
of  great  bodily  strength,  intellectual  vigor,  and  capa- 
city for  business,  was  so  eager  to  get  rich,  that  he  en- 
gaged in  a  concern  where,  in  his  own  estimation  and 
that  of  his  employers,  it  was  needful  to  work  on  the 
Sabbath.  For  a  time  he  prospered,  and  his  profits 
answered  his  expectations.  But  he  broke  his  leg 
very  badly,  and  was  for  a  considerable  time  confmed 
on  expense.  He,  however,  recovered,  and  returned  to 
his  business.  He  prosecuted  it  with  industry  and 
skill,  till  he  obtained  property  enough  to  become  a 
partner  in  the  concern.  But  not  long  afterwards,  the 
company  failed,  and  he  lost  not  only  all  that  he  put 
in,  but,  being  responsible  for  the  debts,  he  lost  his 
whole  estate,  except  a  little  which  he  contrived  to 
turn  into  money.  He  then  removed  to  a  new  and 
distant  part  of  the  country,  bought  a  farm,  and 
commenced  life  again.  It  was  suggested  to  him,  by 
a  friend,  that  perhaps  some  of  his  calamities  had 
come  upon  him  in  consequence  of  working  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  that,  as  he  was  now  beginning  in  a 
new  place  and  a  new  employment,  he  had  better 
change  his  habit.  But,  as  many  others  do,  he  ridi- 
culed the  idea,  and  continued,  as  before,  to  work  on 
the  Sabbath.  He  was  industrious  and  economical. 
His  property  again  increased ;  but  in  one  year,  his 
finest  cow  and  six  other  cattle  died.  Two  of  his  horses 
were  killed.     Afterwards,  owing,  it  is  supposed,  to  his 


34 

great  and  unremitted  exertions,  he  lost  the  use  of  his 
limbs ;  and  he  now  sits  from  day  to  day  helpless, 
not  able  even  to  feed  himself,  and  dependent  upon 
his  friends  for  his  daily  bread.  He  looks  back  with 
regret  upon  the  course  which  he  has  pursued,  and 
acknowledges  that  in  his  calamities  God  is  just. 

47.  Not  ready.  —  A  man  who  had  no  special  need 
of  any  extraordinary  amount  of  property,  was  never- 
theless exceedingly  anxious  to  obtain  it.  He  labored 
with  uncommon  diligence  and  success.  When  he 
thought  he  could  be  a  gainer,  he  did  not  scruple  to 
occupy  the  Sabbath.  In  the  midst  of  life,  health, 
and  prosperity,  a  friend  admonished  him  of  the  evil 
of  his  course,  and  urged  him  to  abandon  it.  He  said 
he  knew  that  it  was  wrong  to  work  on  the  Sabbath, 
that  he  had  often  thought  of  it,  and  that  he  meant  to 
give  it  up.  His  friend  replied,  that  he  had  better 
give  it  up  now.  But  he  was  not  ready.  And  before 
he  got  ready,  he  was  attacked  with  a  violent  disease, 
and  suddenly  died.  What  became  of  his  property  is 
not  known,  but  it  is  plain  that  his  Sabbath  day  gains 
were  to  him  of  no  lasting  advantage. 

48.  Q,ui  FAciT  PER  ALiuM  FAciT  PER  SE.  —  A  man 
in  large  business  was  accustomed  regularly  to  rest 
on  the  Lord's  day,  and  to  attend  public  worship. 
But  he  as  regularly  kept  a  number  of  men  at  work, 
who  were  engaged  in  his  employment.  He  was  re- 
proved for  his  inconsistency,  and  told  that  he  was 
doing  great  injury  to  his  fellow-men.  He  acknowl- 
edged that  it  was  not  right,  and  gave  encouragement 
that  he  would  change  his  course.  He,  however,  still 
continued,  till  his  aifairs  became  very  much  embar- 
rassed ;  and,  finally,  his  whole  establishment,  houses, 
lands,  and  all,  were  sold  to  pay  his  debts.  Men  are 
accountable^  not  merely  for  what  they  do  themselves, 
hut  also  for  what  they   lead  others   to  do,  who  are 


35 

under  their  control.  Owners  of  steamboats,  directors 
of  railroads,  agents  of  manufactories,  who  themselves 
rest  on  the  Sabbath,  and  sit  quietly  in  the  house 
of  God,  but  who  permit  others,  in  their  employ, 
to  run  their  conveyances,  or  pursue  their  business,  are 
as  really  guilty,  and  expose  themselves  to  divine  re- 
buke as  much  as  if  they  did  this  business  themselves. 
Though  they  may  escape  the  condemnation  of 
men,  they  cannot  escape  the  righteous  retribution  of 
God. 

49.  Nine  Stagemen.  —  We  have  the  names,  says 
a  writer,  of  nine  stagemen,  all  of  whom,  except  one, 
have  pursued  their  occupation  in  the  same  section  of 
country,  and  were  often  reproved  for  violating  the 
vSabbath,  but  to  no  apparent  benefit,  for  they  refused 
to  let  their  horses  rest  on  that  day. 

Long  since  they  have  all  been  bankrupts,  and  some 
of  them  over  and  over  again ;  a  few  are  dead  ;  a 
few,  it  is  hoped,  have  repented  and  found  mercy ;  and 
a  number  are  strolling  about  without  character  or 
friends. 

50.  Three  Experiments. — A  company  of  fur 
traders  started  in  their  canoes,  from  Mackinaw,  for  the 
upper  end  of  Lake  Superior.  A  part  of  them  sailed 
without  regard  to  the  Sabbath,  and  made  what  prog- 
ress they  could,  by  working  hard  seven  days  in  a 
week.  The  others  sailed  only  six  days,  and  uni- 
formly rested  on  the  Sabbath.  The  latter  arrived 
at  their  place  of  destination  about  half  a  day  sooner 
than  the  former.  The  next  time  they  went,  they 
made  the  same  experiment ;  and  the  Sabbath-breakers 
did  not  arrive  till  about  a  day  and  a  half  after  the 
others.  Still  they  were  not  convinced  that  it  was 
best  to  rest  on  the  Sabbath ;  and  they  tried  the 
experiment  the  third  time.  Then  the  difference 
between  them  and  the  Sabbath-keepers  was  greater 


36 

still.  In  view  of  the  above  facts,  and  after  having 
thus  made  the  experiment  for  three  successive  years, 
they  gave  up,  and  all  agreed  to  confine  their  sailing 
in  future  to  six  days,  and  to  rest  on  the  Sabbath. 
They  did  so,  and  experienced,  as  they  believed,  great 
benefit  from  the  change. 

51.  Two  Men  and  their  Wind-mills.  —  Mr.  A. 
was  the  owner  of  a  wind-mill.  His  custom  was, 
without  regard  to  days,  to  grind  when  the  wind  blew. 
His  excuse  was,  that  this  was  needful  to  supply  the 
people  with  bread  ;  and,  of  course,  it  was  a  work  of 
necessity. 

But  after  he  became  a  pious  man,  he  did  not  be- 
lieve this.  He  recollected  that  he  was  commanded 
to  keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy,  and  not  to  do  any 
work,  even  if  the  wind  did  blow  ;  and  that  work  in 
a  wind-mill  was  not  excepted.  He  therefore,  confined 
his  grinding  to  the  six  working  days,  and  devoted  the 
Sabbath  to  the  worship  of  God  and  the  discharge 
of  spiritual  duties.  He  who  holds  the  winds  in  his 
fists,  so  ordered  things,  that  none  of  his  customers 
suff"ered  for  want  of  bread.  In  the  course  of  the  year, 
he  ground  as  much  as  he  had  done  before ;  and  in  all 
respects,  as  he  himself  stated,  he  seemed  to  be,  as  to 
his  worldly  afi"airs,  in  a  more  prosperous  condition. 

Another  man  tried  the  same  experiment,  and  uni- 
formly abstained  from  running  his  mill  on  the  Sab- 
bath. He  acquired  property,  and  was  highly  esteemed 
for  his  good  character.  He  afterAvards  sold  his  prop- 
erty, and  removed  into  the  city.  There  he  engaged 
in  the  business  of  a  baker;  and,  to  supply  his  customers 
with  new  bread,  worked  on  the  Sabbath.  His  wife 
sickened  and  died,  he  lost  his  property,  lost  his  char- 
acter, became  openly  vicious,  and  died  a  vagabond. 

52.  "He  shall  not  have  my  Money." — An  aged 
man   of  large    property,  extensive    observation,   and 


37 

much  experience,  was  applied  to,  by  an  industrious 
mechanic,  for  a  loan  of  money.  The  man  said  he 
would  consider  of  it,  and  let  him  know.  In  the 
mean  time,  he  inquired  of  an  acquaintance  with  re- 
gard to  the  business  and  habits  of  the  young  man. 
The  man  represented  him  as  in  good  business,  and 
very  industrious,  and  added,  I  do  not  know  but  one 
thing  against  him.  ''  What  is  that  ?  "  said  the  old 
man.  He  replied,  "  He  sometimes  works  on  the  Sab- 
bath." The  old  man  answered,  ^^  He  shanH  have 
my  money. ^^  He  was  industrious  and  in  good  busi- 
ness. But  the  old  man  had  lived  long  enough  to 
know  that  it  would  not  answer  to  lend  money  to  a 
Sabbath-breaker.  It  would  be  unsafe.  Not  long 
after,  the  old  man  learnt  that  the  young  man  had 
failed,  and  he  had  new  evidence  of  what  he  had 
often  witnessed  before  —  that  it  is  not  safe  to  lend 
money  to  a  man  who  works  on  the  Sabbath. 

53.  "Not  send  him  to  the  Sabbath  School."  — 
A  poor  woman  had  a  son.  She  offered  to  give  him 
to  one  of  her  neighbors,  and  urged  him  to  take  him  ; 
and  she  said  that  he  might  do  any  thing  he  pleased 
with  him,  only  "  not  send  him  to  the  Sabbath  schooV^ 
The  man  took  the  boy.  He  was  not  sent  to  the 
Sabbath  school.  Yet  he  must  be  somewhere.  And 
if  boys,  on  the  Sabbath,  are  not  occupied  in  what  is 
good,  they  will  be  peculiarly  exposed  to  be  employed 
in  what  is  bad.  He  took  a  boat,  and  attempted  to 
cross  the  river  above  a  mighty  cataract.  The  cur- 
rent was  too  rapid  and  strong.  After  passing  out 
into  the  river,  he  found  himself  going  down  the 
stream.  He  tinned  the  boat,  and  pulled  for  the  shore. 
For  a  time,  it  hung  in  suspense,  whether  he  would 
succeed  or  be  carried  over  and  plunged  into  the 
awful  gulf  below.  They  saw  him  from  the  shore 
struggling  for  his  life,  but  they  could  not  help 
him.     For  a  moment  he  seemed  to  gain,  and  then 

No.  5.  4 


38 

to  lose.  His  strength  became  more  exhausted,  and 
the  current  more  rapid,  till  he  saw  that  he  was 
going.  He  plunged  into  the  water,  and  with  his 
boat  made  the  awful  leap  over  the  mighty  cataract 
into  the  yawning  gulf  below,  and  was  seen  no 
more.  Had  he  been  in  the  Sabbath  school,  or,  as  he 
should  have  been,  engaged  in  the  appropriate  duties 
of  the  Sabbath,  he  had  escaped  this  awful  death. 

54.  "Will  not  run  on  the  Sabbath."  —  On 
one  of  the  canals  in  the  United  States  was  built  a 
large  and  splendid  boat.  They  called  her  by  the 
name  of  a  very  conscientious  and  pious  lady  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  said  that  she  should  run  on  the 
Sabbath.  They  loaded  her,  and  sent  her  off  to  mar- 
ket. On  her  way,  it  was  needful  to  pass  down  a 
long  inclined  plain.  As  she  with  her  heavy  load 
was  descending,  the  chains  broke,  and  down  she 
went,  with  awful  violence,  to  the  bottom.  Such  was 
the  pressure  of  the  water,  that  the  embankment  of  the 
canal  gave  way,  and  she  was  precipitated,  with  all 
her  load,  into  the  deep  ravine  below.  The  spectators 
stood  in  amazement,  till  one  broke  the  silence,  and, 

calling  her  by  name,  said,  " will  not  run  on  the 

Sabbath." 

55.  Make  Haste  slowly.  —  A  number  of  men 
were  on  a  journey,  and  were  in  great  haste  to  reach 
the  place  of  their  destination.  They  travelled  on  till 
Saturday  night,  when  the  question  arose,  and  was 
discussed,  whether  they  should  continue  their  jour- 
ney on  the  Sabbath.  Yarious  reasons  were  offered 
on  one  side  and  the  other.  The  result  was,  one 
stopped  and  kept  the  Sabbath ;  the  others  proceeded 
on  the^r  journey.  On  Monday,  he  was  not  able  to 
fiiidrSL  passage  ;  but  on  Tuesday  he  started,  and  in  the 
course  of  the  week  he  overtook  his  companions,  who 
had  been  detained  till  his  arrival.     They  then  started 


39 

off,  and  kept  together  till  Saturday  night.  He  stopped 
again  and  kept  the  Sabbath.  They,  as  before,  con- 
tinued their  journey.  On  Monday,  he  went  on,  and 
he  was  the  first  to  reach  their  place  of  destination. 
Thus,  though  he  stopped  two  Sabbaths  and  one  week 
day,  and  they  stopped  none  except  what  they  were 
obliged  to,  he  was  the  first  to  reach  their  journey's 
end. 

56.     The    young   and    the    old    Merchant. — A 

young  man  rented  a  store  in  a  neighborhood  where 
it  was  common  to  keep  stores  open  on  the  Sabbath. 
He  resolved  that  his  should  be  shut,  and  that  he 
would  confine  his  business  to  the  Aveek  time.  An 
old  merchant  in  the  neighborhood  told  him  that  that 
would  never  do  ;  he  must  keep  his  store  open  on 
the  Sabbath,  or  he  would  fail ;  for  many  people  were 
not  at  leisure  to  do  their  trading  at  any  other  time. 
He,  however,  persevered  in  his  determination.  The 
old  merchant  then  told  him  he  had  better  give  up  his 
lease,  for  he  would  certainly  fail.  But  he  was  not  to 
be  frightened,  and  on  Saturday  he  shut  up  his  store. 
The  Sabbath  came,  and  with  it  many  customers. 
He  told  them  that  he  should  be  happy  to  see  them  on 
any  other  day,  but  he  could  not  accommodate  on 
the  Sabbath.  Some  were  angry,  and  said  they 
would  supply  themselves  at  other  stores.  They  did 
so  ;  and  not  a  few  of  them  at  the  store  of  the  old  man 
who  had  admonished  the  young  one  of  his  danger. 
Both,  however,  continued  to  prosecute  their  business, 
each  in  his  own  way.  The  young  man  acquired 
property,  and  became  wealthy.  The  other,  after  a 
time,  began  to  decline,  and  continued  to  go  down, 
till  he  had  lost  all.  He  became  poor  and  helpless  ; 
was  supported  by  the  hand  of  charity ;  and  lived  in 
one  of  the  tenements  belonging  to  this  very  young 
man,  whom  he  had  warned  of  the  danger  of  keeping 
the  Sabbath.  '*  There  is  a  way  that  seemeth  right 
d 


40 

unto  a  man,  but  the  end  thereof  are  the  ways  of 
death."     (Prov.   14:   12.) 

57.  Two  YOUNG  Men.  —  On  a  certain  Sabbath, 
when  the  writer  was  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson, 
two  young  men  went  into  the  river  to  bathe.  After 
washing  themselves  near  the  shore,  one  said  to  the 
other,  <'Let  us  swim  out  into  the  river."  Being 
expert  swimmers,  they  started ;  but  they  had  not 
proceeded  far,  when  one  of  them  began  to  cry  for 
help.  He  found  that,  notAvithstanding  all  his  efforts, 
he  was  sinking.  The  other  could  not  help  him,  for 
he  was  ready  to  sink  also  ;  and  he  made  for  the  shore. 
After  long  and  desperate  efforts,  he  reached  the  shore. 
The  other  was  drowned. 

The  great  numbers  of  those  who  are  drowned  on 
the  Sabbath  should  operate  as  a  warning  not  to  go 
out  upon,  or  into  the  water,  for  amusement,  on  the 
Sabbath. 

In  many  places,  more  have  been  drowned  on  the 
Sabbath  than  on  all  the  rest  of  the  week. 

58.  The  Fruit  Tree.  —  A  young  man,  on  the 
Sabbath,  climbed  up  a  tree  to  get  some  fruit.  While 
plucking  the  fruit,  he  slipped,  lost  his  hold,  and  fell 
upon  a  sharp-pointed  stake.  It  pierced  his  body  and 
killed  him.  There  he  hung,  with  the  stake  through 
his  body,  a  monument  of  the  folly  of  breaking  the 
Sabbath. 

59.  ''Go    BACK,    OR     I     WILL     SHOOT     YOU." TwO 

young  fellows  went  out  on  the  Sabbath  with  their 
guns  for  the  purpose  of  hunting.  A  little  boy,  con- 
trary to  their  wishes,  followed  them.  They  told  him 
to  go  back ;  but  he  would  not,  and  continued  to  follow 
them.  He  might  have  wished  to  enjoy  the  sport  of 
seeing  them  discharge  their  guns.  At  length  one  of 
them  said,  "  Go  back,  or  I  will  shoot  you."     And  to 


41 

frighten  him,  he  put  up  his  gun  and  flashed  some  pow- 
der. But  the  boy,  finding  that  it  did  not  hurt  him, 
kept  on ;  Avhen  the  other  said,  "  I  had  as  lief  shoot 
him  as  not."  He  pointed  his  gun  at  him,  and  shot 
him  dead. 

Such  is  the  recklessness  of  Sabbath-breakers. 

60.  "Without  Warning."  —  A  man  in  Massachu- 
setts, who  neglected  public  worship  and  was  intem- 
perate, who  profaned  the  Sabbath,  and  in  various 
ways  was  openly  vicious,  told  his  friend  that  he  was 
willing  to  die  at  any  time  if  the  Almighty  would  only 
take  him  away  without  learning.  What  he  wanted 
was,  to  die  suddenly.  Late  at  night  he  started  from  a 
rum-selling  tavern  to  go  home.  On  his  way,  he  lost 
the  road,  fell  over  a  precipice,  struck  his  head  upon  a 
rock,  and  in  the  morning  w£is  found  dead.  The 
writer  of  this  examined  the  spot  where  he  fell,  and 
where,  "  without  warning,"  he  was  taken  away  sud- 
denly, according  to  the  wish  which  he  had  expressed 
to  his  neighbor. 

61.  "I  WOULD   SOONER  GO  TO  HeLL  FOR  S MINGLES." 

— A  man  in  the  state  of  New  York  went  to  a  certain 
place  for  the  purpose  of  buying  some  shingles.  He 
inquired  the  price,  and  found  it  to  be  much  higher 
than  he  expected,  or  thought  that  they  were  worth  ; 
and  so  much  higher  that  he  resented  it,  grew  angry, 
and  said,  "  I  would  sooner  go  to  hell  for  shingles,  than 
give  such  a  price."  He  went  away  in  a  rage.  On 
a  subsequent  Sabbath,  he  started  with  his  wagon  and 
went  to  a  more  distant  place  for  the  shingles,  and 
where  he  thought  he  could  get  them  cheaper.  He 
obtained  the  shingles  and  set  out  for  home.  On  his 
way,  he  fell  from  his  wagon  into  a  small  hollow  in 
the  road.  The  wagon  passed  partly  over  him,  and 
stopped.     In  that  condition  he  was  found,  dead,  with 

one  of  the  wheels  of  his  wagon  standing  on  his  neck. 
4* 


42 

62.  Two  Lines  of  Wagons.  — A  number  of  yesirs 
ago,  two  lines  of  freight  wagons  were  started  to  run 
from  one  of  the  New  England  states  to  another. 
They  were  owned  by  the  men  who  drove  them.  One 
of  them  drove  his  teams  six  days  in  a  week,  and  the 
other  seven.  The  six  days'  team  generally  returned 
as  soon  as  the  other,  and  often  it  returned  sooner. 
The  goods  also  came  more  safe  and  in  a  better  con- 
dition. The  Sabbath-breaking  line  failed,  and  the 
owner  became  a  bankrupt.  The  Sabbath-keeping 
line  did  a  good  business,  and  continued  to  prosper. 

Horses  that  are  driven  in  stage-coaches  six  days 
only  in  a  week  are  found  to  be  more  healthy,  to  live 
longer,  and,  in  the  course  of  the  year,  to  be  able  to 
travel  farther,  than  those  that  are  driven  seven.  All 
experiments  fairly  made  show  a  similar  result ;  thus 
proving  that  the  command  to  rest  on  the  Sabbath 
only  expresses  an  obligation  that  grows  out  of  the 
nature  of  things. 

63.  •  "  He  did  not  wish   to    see    Anybody." — A 

man  from  the  country  came  down,  on  Saturday,  to 
the  city  of  Troy,  with  a  load  of  wheat.  He  offered 
it  for  sale,  but  could  not  obtain  as  much  as  he  wanted, 
and  he  would  not  sell  it.  A  steamboat  was  to  leave, 
that  evening,  for  New  York,  and  the  thought  occurred 
to  him  that  he  could  put  his  wheat  on  board  the  boat, 
get  into  New  York  on  the  Sabbath,  and  on  Monday 
morning,  early,  could  probably  sell  it  at  a  higher 
price.  He  put  his  wheat  on  board,  and  arrived  in 
safety  at  New  York  on  Sabbath  morning.  But  when 
he  arose,  he  found,  to  his  great  vexation,  that  his  pan- 
taloons were  gone,  probably  stolen,  and  carried  off  by 
some  one  that  had  left  the  boat,  and  in  the  pocket 
were  eighty  dollars  in  gold.  He  was  no  richer,  on 
the  whole,  than  he  might  have  been,  had  he  sold  his 
wheat  in  Troy  and  kept  the  Sabbath.  The  news  got 
back  to  Troy,  and  when  he  returned,  in  the  language 


43 

of  him  who  gave  the  writer  this  account,  "He  did 
not  wish  to  see  anybody. ^^ 

64,  A  GREAT  Change.  —  A  gentleman  in  the 
state  of  New  York,  who  had  been  a  very  successful 
merchant  and  farmer,  died,  and  left  a  large  estate  to 
his  sons.  They  were  sober,  industrious,  active,  and 
enterprising ;  they  prospered  in  their  business,  and 
rapidly  accumulated  property.  The  accumulation 
increased  the  desire  for  more,  and  they  made  haste  to 
be  rich.  They  grew  uneasy  at  resting  on  the  Sab- 
bath, and  began  to  continue  their  business  on  that 
day.  They  hired  laborers  to  work  on  the  Sabbath, 
and  in  some  cases  could  get  them  cheaper  than  they 
could  on  other  days.  Their  whole  souls  seemed  to 
be  swallowed  up  in  the  one  idea  of  accumulating 
wealth.  But  they  had  not  continued  long,  after  they 
began  openly  to  do  business  on  the  Sabbath,  before 
it  was  evident  that  they  were  losing  as  to  character. 
They  began  also  to  lose  as  to  property ;  and  one  loss 
followed  another,  till,  through  mismanagement  and 
losses,  they  became  bankrupts,  and  finally  abandoned, 
vicious,  and  miserable.  Said  an  intelligent  and  most 
respectable  observer,  "  Few  men  ever  seemed  to  pros- 
per more,  while  they  continued  to  observe  the  Sab- 
bath ;  and  iew  ever  ran  down  faster,  as  to  character 
and  property,  after  they  began  openly  and  habitually 
to  profane  it." 

'  65.  The  Steam  Flour  Mill. — A  gentleman, 
'in  a  wheat-growing  district,  built  him  a  steam  flour 
mill.  For  a  time,  he  run  it  only  six  days  in  a  week 
but  afterwards  he  began  to  run  it  on  the  Sabbath. 
Some  of  his  neighbors  warned  him  against  this,  and 
told  him  that  he  would  not  be  likely  to  prosper.  Soon, 
while  running  his  mill  on  the  Sabbath,  thQ  machine- 
ry gave  way,  and  it  took  two  days  to  repair  it.  The 
next    Sabbath,  while   he   was   running  it,  it   broke 


44 

again  ;  and  to  repair  it  took  two  days  more.  For  a 
time  after  that,  he  let  it  rest  on  the  Sabbath.  But 
being  pressed  with  business,  he  began  to  run  it  again. 
The  man  who  tended  it  having  drunk  freely  of  in- 
toxicating liquor,  as  Sabbath-breakers  often  do,  fell 
asleep.  The  steam  however,  did  not  sleep.  The 
grist  run  out,  and  the  steam  increased,  and  the  ma- 
chinery continued  to  operate  with  increasing  force, 
till  it  was  raised  to  the  highest  pitch  of  endurance. 
The  tender  awoke,  and,  seeing  the  state  of  things, 
half  distracted,  ran  to  the  hopper,  and  crammed  in 
such  an  amount  of  grain  that  the  works  could  not 
clear  themselves  ;  they  clogged  up,  the  crank  broke, 
wheels  flew  in  various  directions,  and  so  shattered 
were  the  whole  works,  that  it  cost  over  a  thousand 
dollars  to  repair  them.  The  owner  afterwards  failed, 
and  his  concern  went  to  ruin. 

66  Three  Manufacturers.  —  Three  manufac- 
turing establishments,  near  to  each  other,  were  started, 
about  the  same  time.  The  agent  of  the  largest,  and 
the  one  that  seemed  to  have  the  greatest  facilities  for 
permanent  prosperity,  was  accustomed  to  work  on 
the  Sabbath.  If  not  abroad  on  business,  he  was  in 
his  counting-room  posting  his  books  and  attending  to 
the  concerns  of  the  company.  This  course  he  con- 
tinued till  the  company  failed,  and  became  bankrupt. 

The  agent  of  another  went  on  the  Sabbath  into 
the  mill,  to  attend  to  some  business,  when  a  wheel, 
that  had  become  disengaged,  fell,  and  came  near  to 
killing  him.  He  soon  after  failed,  and  the  establish- 
ment was  closed. 

The  third  was  conducted  by  a  man  who  paid  a 
strict  and  conscientious  regard  to  the  Sabbath.  He 
would  not  suffer  any  work  to  be  done  about  the 
establishment.  At  one  time,  when  some  machinery 
from  a  distance,  without  his  consent,  was  brought  to 
him  on  the  Sabbath,  he  would  not  suffer  it  even  to 


45 

be  unloaded  ;  but  told  the  man  that  he  must  wait  till 
Monday  before  it  could  be  done.  He  seemed  to  have 
no  peculiar  facilities,  except  his  character,  for  perma- 
nent prosperity,  above  his  neighbors;  yet  they  both 
failed,  and  he  continued  to  prosper;  and  after  years 
of  experience,  he  expressed  his  strong  and  un\va,ver- 
ing  conviction  of  the  great  utility,  in  manufacturing 
and  in  all  other  kinds  of  business,  of  the  uniform  and 
conscientious  observance  of  the  Sabbath. 

67.  Two  Families. — A  gentleman,  with  his  fam- 
ily, was  going  in  a  canal  boat  from  Pittsburg  to  Phil- 
adelphia. He  arrived  at  a  certain  place  on  Saturday 
afternoon,  about  two  o'clock.  Finding,  from  the 
progress  of  the  boat,  that  he  would  not  arrive  at  the 
place  which  he  had  in  view  till  the  Sabbath,  he  con- 
cluded to  stop  where  he  was.  Another  family  on 
board  thought  that  they  could  not  aiford  to  stop  so  early 
in  the  day,  and  hoping  to  get  in  before  the  Sabbath,  as 
the  captain  promised  them  they  should,  continued  their 
journey.  During  the  night,  there  was  a  great  rain. 
They  did  not  arrive  till  the  next  day;  then  they  had 
to  land  in  a  violent  shower,  with  their  things  thor- 
oughly drenched  with  rain,  and  under  the  mortifying 
reflection,  that  they  were  breaking  the  Sabbath,  and 
setting  a  bad  example  to  all  who  beheld  them. 

The  other  family,  who  stopped,  were  comfortably 
housed  during  the  storm,  and  quietly  kept  the  Sab- 
bath. On  Monday,  they  took  another  boat,  and 
before  the  close  of  the  day,  came  up  with  their  com- 
panions from  whom  they  parted  on  Saturday,  having 
lost  nothing  and  gained  much  by  their  obedience  to 
the  command  of  God. 

68.  The  conscientious  Clerk.  —  One  of  the 
shrewdest  merchants  and  best  financiers  was  engaged 
in  a  profitable  business  with  which  he  was  well  ac- 
quainted, and  in  which  he  had  acquired  a  large  estate. 


At  a  certain  time,  when  pressed  with  business,  he 
directed  two  of  his  clerks  to  spend  the  Sabbath  in  the 
counting-room.  After  trying  it  one  or  two  Sabbaths, 
one  of  them,  under  the  conviction  that  it  was  wrong, 
positively  refused  any  longer  to  continue  it.  He  is 
now  an  intelligent,  active,  and  respectable  man.  The 
other,  in  compliance  with  the  wishes  of  his  employer, 
continued^  thus  to  desecrate  the  Sabbath.  Before 
long  the  employer  found  that  this  clerk  had  defrauded 
him  to  a  large  amount.  The  merchant  himself  failed, 
and  his  extensive  business  passed  into  other  hands. 
His  neighbors  in  the  same  business,  and  with  appa- 
rently less  mercantile  ability  and  skill,  but  who  have 
kept  the  Sabbath,  continue  to  prosper;  a  number  of 
them  have  acquired  large  estates,  and  are  still  doing 
an  extensive  business  ;  and  the  conscientious  clerk 
now  ascribes  no  small  share  of  the  difference  between 
their  condition  and  that  of  his  old  employer  to  their 
different  modes  of  treating  the  Sabbath  day. 

69.  The  successful  Captain.  —  A  captain  of  a 
vessel  says,  "  When  I  was  about  to  sail  from  New 
York  on  my  first  voyage  as  master,  there  was  a  ship 
ready  to  sail  from  Boston  for  the  same  port.  As  she 
was  a  swift  vessel,  my  owners  were  fearful  of  her 
arriving  first ;  and  as  the  profit  of  the  voyage  might 
depend  in  some  measure  on  that,  they  were  anxious 
to  get  me  away  as  soon  as  possible.  On  Saturday 
night  we  were  ready  for  sea.  One  of  the  owners,  on 
Sabbath  morning,  urged  that  we  should  sail,  as  the 
wind  was  fair.  I  remonstrated  and  prevailed,  and 
went  with  most  of  my  crew  to  the  Mariners'  Church. 
On  Monday,  the  wind  shifted  to  the  southward,  and 
we  could  not  get  out.  But  the  owner  was  so  anxious 
for  me  to  sail,  that  he  employed  a  steamboat  in  the 
afternoon  of  that  day  to  tow  us  out  to  sea.  But  on 
reaching  Sandy  Hook,  the  wind  was  very  fresh  at 
the  south-east,  so  that  I  lay  in  the  roads  till  Tuesday 


47 

morning,  and  then  made  sail.  The  Boston  vessel 
sailed  on  Sabbath  morning,  getting  the  start  of  us 
forty-eight  hours,  besides  being  several  degrees  to  the 
eastward.  But  I  arrived  at  port  three  days  before  she 
did.  I  discharged,  and  took  in  my  return  cargo,  and 
sailed  for  Boston,  and  arrived  in  the  Vineyard  Sound 
after  a  passage  of  forty-nine  days.  Thence  I  went  to 
Boston  and  discharged,  took  in  another  cargo  for  the 
same  place,  and  on  my  arrival  home,  after  the  second 
voyage,  found  that  I  was  twenty-five  days  in  advance 
of  the  other  ship." 

70.  New  England  young  Men.  —  A  number  of 
young  men  started  from  New  England,  by  land,  for 
New  Orleans.  One  of  them  had  invested  his  property 
in  merchandise  for  that  market,  which  he  had  shipped, 
with  directions  to  the  captain,  that,  should  he  not  find 
him  there  by  such  a  time,  he  should  store  the  goods. 
In  Pennsylvania,  the  question  came  up  whether  they 
should  travel  on  the  Sabbath.  He  and  one  other 
concluded  to  stop,  though  strongly  urged  by  their 
fellow-travellers  to  go  onward.  A  number  of  the  next 
coaches  which  arrived  were  so  crowded  that  they 
could  not  obtain  a  passage,  and  they  were  delayed  for 
some  time.  But  they  finally  succeeded  in  obtaining 
a  private  conveyance  to  Pittsburg,  for  about  twenty- 
five  dollars.  The  cost,  had  they  continued  in  the 
coach,  would  have  been  about  six  dollars.  On  their 
arrival,  they  found  that  the  Sabbath-breakers  had  ar- 
rived just  in  time  to  take  the  only  boat  that  would 
go  down  the  river  for  a  number  of  days.  They  finally 
obtained  a  passage  to  Cincinnati.  Here  they  were 
delayed  a  number  of  days  more,  while  their  fellow- 
travellers  had  departed,  without  delay,  a  number  of 
days  before.  They  finally,  however,  obtained  a  pas- 
sage, and  arrived  safely  at  New  Orleans.  The  young 
man  who  had  shipped  his  goods  found  that  the  vessel 
had  arrived ;  and,  the  captain  not  finding  him  at  the 


48 

appointed  time,  his  part  of  the  goods  were  stored ; 
and,  what  seemed  unfortunate,  the  rest  of  the  cargo 
was  sold  to  a  man  who  took  it  from  the  vessel,  and 
wanted  what  belonged  to  this  young  man,  and  at  a 
handsome  advance  upon  the  cost  and  charges ;  but 
as  he  was  not  there,  his  goods  had  been  stored,  and 
thus  the  expenses  much  increased.  So  far  every 
thing  seemed  to  be  against  him,  but  no  farther.  Soon 
there  was  a  great  advance  upon  the  price  of  such 
goods,  and  he  sold  to  great  advantage,  and  obtained 
his  money,  while  the  man  to  whom  the  rest  of  the 
cargo  had  been  sold,  failed  before  the  notes  became 
due,  and  all  was  lost.  Had  he  sold  to  him,  as  he 
doubtless  would  have  done  had  he  not  stopped  on  the 
Sabbath,  he  would  have  lost  the  whole.  So  what 
seemed  to  be  his  loss,  turned  out  to  be  his  gain. 
"Judge  nothing  before  the  time."  (1  Cor.  4:  5.) 
"  And  let  us  not  be  weary  in  well-doing,  for  in  due 
season  we  shall  reap  if  we  faint  not."  (Gal.  6:9.) 
This  is  often  the  case,  to  some  extent,  in  this  world, 
and  will  be  fully,  always,  in  the  world  to  come. 

71.    Four  per  Cent,  and  Twenty-five.  — Captain 
was  at  Rio  Grande  after  a  cargo  of  hides.     He 


refused  to  have  them  loaded  on  the  Sabbath,  and,  in 
consequence  of  that,  he  had  to  wait  twenty  days,  till 
all  the  other  vessels  that  were  ready  had  been  loaded. 
That  time  he  spent  in  cleaning  and  drying  his  hides, 
while  several  other  vessels  sailed.  He  also  had  op- 
portunity to  purchase  more  hides,  and  prepare  them  to 
be  stowed  away  to  the  best  advantage.  At  length,  his 
turn  arrived.  His  vessel  was  loaded  and  prepared  for 
sea  on  Saturday  night.  Sabbath  morning,  instead 
of  sailing,  he  raised  his  Bethel  flag,  and  spent  the  day 
in  the  appropriate  duties  of  the  Sabbath.  On  Monday 
he  set  sail ;  and  when  he  arrived  at  the  bar,  he  found 
the  vessels  that  had  sailed  before  him  lying  there, 
wind-bound.     They  could  not  get  over  the  bar.     On 


49 

his  arrival,  a  master  pilot  rode  up  from  the  country, 
and  asked  him  if  ha- wished  to  be  taken  out.  He  told 
him  he  did ;  and  his  was  the  second  vessel  that  was 
taken  over  the  bar.  His  was  also  the  second  vessel 
that  arrived  in  New  York.  His  hides,  in  consequence- 
of  being  so  finely  dried  during  those  twenty  days  that 
he  was  detained,  were  in  such  good  order  that  he  lost 
on  the  cargo  only  about  four  per  cent. ;  while  others, 
that  were  loaded  before  their  hides  were  properly 
dried,  lost  twenty-five  per  cent. 

72.  The  Whirlwind.  —  Two  neighbors,  near  the 
Mississippi  River,  had  each  a  quantity  of  wheat  which 
he  wished  to  send  to  New  Orleans.  One  of  them 
wrote  to  the  captain  of  a  steamboat,  up  the  river,  that, 
on  his  arrival,  he  might  take  his  wheat,  provided  he 
should  not  come  for  it  on  the  Sabbath.  On  the  Sab- 
bath the  captain  came,  and  the  owner  would  not  let 
him  take  his  wheat.  His  neighbor,  however,  permit- 
ted him  to  take  his,  to  the  amount  of  about  two  thou- 
sand bushels.  It  was  placed  upon  the  deck  of  the 
boat.  On  their  passage,  they  were  met  by  a  violent 
whirlwind.  It  struck  directly  across  the  deck  of  the 
vessel,  and  the  wheat  which  lay  there  was  swept 
away.  Thus  the  man  who  refused  to  have  his  wheat 
put  on  board  on  the  Sabbath,  saved  it ;  and  the  man 
who  consented  that  the  Sabbath-breaking  captain 
should  take  his,  lost  it. 

73.  The  Traveller  at  Natchez. — A  traveller 
at  Natchez,  was  wishing  to  go  to  Memphis.  On  the 
Sabbath,  a  boat  came  along.  He  was  urged  to  take 
it,  but  refused.  On  Monday,  another  boat  arrived, 
which  he  took.  On  Tuesday,  they  passed  the  other 
boat.  He  arrived  at  Memphis  in  season  to  take  the 
stage-coach  through  Kentucky,  which  ran  only  twice 
a  week ;  and  thus  he  saved  three  days,  which  he  would 
have  lost  had  he  taken  the  other  boat,  as  it  did  not 

No.  5.  5 


60 

arrive  till  after  the  stage-coach   had   taken   its  de- 
parture. 

74.  The  West  India  Captain.  —  A  sea  captain 
in  the  West  Indies  was  very  careful  not  to  have  work 
done  on  board  his  vessel,  while  in  the  harbor,  on  the 
Sabbath.  But  on  a  certain  Sabbath,  it  was  thought 
to  be  very  important  for  the  vessels  in  the  harbor  to 
take  a  new  position.  They  all  did  so,  except  his 
own.  He  was  strongly  tempted  to  move  his  also  ;  but 
he  told  his  men  that  as  it  was  the  Sabbath,  and  they 
were  not  accustomed  to  work  on  that  day,  they  would 
let  her  lie.  A  violent  storm  arose,  and  every  vessel 
except  his  own  was  wrecked  or  driven  high  upon 
the  shore ;  while  his  outrode  the  storm  in  safety.  "  On 
the  Sabbath,"  said  he,  "  they  laughed  at  me  for  my 
superstition ;  on  Monday,  I  pointed  to  their  vessels, 
and  said,  '  See  the  effect  of  Sabbath-breaking.'  " 

75.  The  Traveller  at  Mackinac. — A  gentle- 
man, at  Mackinac,  was  wishing  to  go  to  Chicago. 
There  was  only  one  steamboat  in  port,  and  that  was 
to  go  on  the  Sabbath.  All  the  passengers  were  going 
in  her,  and  they  m^ged  him  to  accompany  them. 
He  was  in  great  haste,  and  it  was  uncertain  when 
another  boat  would  arrive.  He,  however,  refused  to 
go,  stopped,  and  kept  the  Sabbath.  On  Tuesday, 
another  boat  arrived;  and  before  they  reached  Chi- 
cago, they  passed  the  boat  that  started  on  the  Sab- 
bath ;  and  he  arrived  sooner  than  he  would  have 
done,  had  he  taken  the  Sabbath-breaking  boat. 

76.  The  young  Man  at  New  Orleans.  —  A 
young  man,  from  Massachusetts,  went  out  as  shoe- 
dealer  to  New  Orleans.  He  kept  his  store  shut,  and 
regularly  attended  public  worship  on  the  Sabbath. 
From  time  to  time,  he  transmitted  money  to  his 
brother,  till   he  had  deposited   a  considerable   sum. 


51 

Some  of  his  neighbors,  however,  laughed  at  his  Puri- 
tanical habits,  and  told  him  that,  as  men  could  not 
stay  long  in  New  Orleans,  it  was  best  to  make  money 
as  fast  as  they  could,  and  then  go  home  and  enjoy  it. 
He  began  to  think  himself  that  he  might  be  too  strict. 
He  therefore  opened  one  half  of  one  shutter  on  Sab- 
bath morning,  and  sold  shoes  to  such  as  called  for 
them.  By-and-by,  he  opened  a  whole  shutter  ;  then 
all  his  shutters  and  the  door.  He  neglected  public 
worship,  and  soon,  instead  of  sending  money  to  his 
brother,  as  he  had  done  before,  he  began  to  draw 
upon  him  for  what  he  had  sent.  Thus  he  continued 
to  do,  till  his  funds  were  exhausted  ;  and  in  the  course 
of  a  few  years,  he  came  back  himself,  a  poor,  reckless 
vagabond,  and  died.  Had  he  continued  to  keep  his 
store  shut  on  the  Sabbath,  and  to  attend  public  wor- 
ship, as  before,  he  might  have  become  a  wealthy, 
respectable  man,  and  avoided  his  miserable  end. 

11.  Fish  caught  too  soon. — A  number  of  fish- 
ermen went  out  to  fish  for  halibut.  On  the  Sabbath, 
they  found  themselves  in  the  midst  of  great  numbers. 
All  the  boats  were  employed  in  taking  them,  except 
one.  The  men  on  board  that  boat  remembered  the 
Sabbath  day,  and  kept  it  holy.  The  former  soon 
obtained  their  supply,  and  set  sail  for  the  market. 
The  latter  commenced  on  Monday,  and  when  they 
had  obtained  their  supply,  they  also  sailed  for  the 
market.  The  former  were  met  by  a  calm,  and  were 
detained  till,  the  weather  being  very  hot,  many  of 
their  fish  were  spoiled.  They  had  to  throw  them 
overboard ;  and  when  the  latter  were  going  in,  under 
a  prosperous  gale,  the  former,  having  lost  many  of 
theirs,  were  going  back  for  another  load.  Had  they 
let  the  fish  stay  in  the  ocean  till  after  the  Sabbath, 
they  might  have  escaped  the  loss. 

78.    The  Way  to  save  Time.  —  In  the  town  of 


are   two   manufactories.      In   one   they  mend 

bands,  clean  boilers,  and  repair  machinery,  on  the 
Sabbath.  In  the  other,  they  do  nothing,  but  con- 
fine all  their  labors  to  the  six  working  days,  or  per- 
form them  in  the  night.  That  manufactory  has  to 
stop  less  time,  during  the  week,  to  make  repairs,  than 
the  other.  They  meet  with  fewer  disasters,  and 
have  a  more  moral  and  trustworthy  set  of  operatives. 
Similar,  it  is  believed,  should  the  experiment  be  per- 
severingly  made,  would  be  the  result  in  all  other 
establishments. 

79.   ''Now  LET  IT  RAIN." — A   farmer  in  R , 

who  had  a  large  farm,  often  had  a  quantity  of  grass 
cut  so  near  the  close  of  the  week,  that,  with  good 
weather,  it  would  be  dry  and  ready  to  get  in  on  the 
Sabbath.  There  was  a  large  manufactory  in  his 
neighborhood,  in  which  the  hands  did  not  work  on 
that  day.  Nor  did  they  attend  public  worship.  As 
they  were  at  leisure,  the  farmer  could  hire  them 
to  help  him  at  a  less  price  than  he  could  ordinarily 
hire  laborers  on  other  days.  In  that  way  he  thought 
he  could  be  a  gainer.  On  a  certain  week,  he  had 
mowed  an  extraordinary  quantity  of  grass.  He  took 
care  of  it  with  the  help  he  had,  till  the  Sabbath.  On 
that  day,  he  got  the  factory  hands,  and  they  went  to 
work.  In  the  course  of  the  day,  it  began  to  look 
rainy,  and  he  began  to  fear  that  the  hay  would  be 
wet.  He  urged  on  his  men,  and  they  worked  with 
great  vigor.  Load  after  load  was  put  on  and  driven 
off  in  haste.  The  clouds  continued  to  gather  black- 
ness, but  the  rain  did  not  come.  With  great  efforts 
they  succeeded,  and  the  last  load  was  driven  into  the 
barn.  Then  said  the  farmer,  in  great  exultation, 
^^ Now  let  it  rain.^^  It  did  rain;  and  with  the  rain 
came  the  lightning,  and  struck  his  barn.  The  hay 
was  on  fire,  and  all  which  on  the  Sabbath  day,  and  on 
the  week  days,  he  had  put  into  his  barn,  was  con- 
sumed. 


53 

80.  They  tried  it.  — In  a  manufactory  in  M , 

they  were  accustomed,  for  years,  to  confine  their 
ordinary  business  to  the  usual  working  days.  But 
when  any  thing  gave  way,  or  got  out  of  order,  they 
repaired  it  on  the  Sabbath.  But,  notwithstanding 
this,  such  were  the  number  and  variety  of  disasters, 
that  they  often  had  to  stop  for  repairs  during  the 
week.  Afterwards  they  changed  their  policy,  con- 
fined all  their  repairs  and  labors  of  every  kind  to  the 
six  working  days,  and  let  the  workmen  enjoy  the 
rest  and  privileges  of  the  Sabbath.  The  result  was, 
as  the  overseer  testified  to  the  writer,  that  they  had 
to  stop  their  mills  less  during  the  week  to  make  re- 
pairs, than  they  did  when  they  made  them  on  the 
Sabbath.  Similar  is  the  testimony  of  others  who 
have  tried  it.  Different  men  may  account  for  this  in 
different  ways,  but  no  man  can  in  truth  deny  the  facts. 

81.  Better  than  before,  — An  agent  of  a  man- 
ufactory employed  a  mechanic  to  keep  his  machinery 
in  repair.  He  was  an  excellent  workman,  well  ac- 
quainted with  his  business,  and  gave  good  satisfac- 
tion to  his  employers.  After  a  number  of  years,  he 
was  transferred  to  a  larger  establishment  ;  the  man 
who  before  was  in  this  establishment,  had  been  in 
the  habit  of  repairing  machinery  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
had  found  it,  as  he  said,  necessary  to  employ  at  least 
a  third  of  all  his  Sabbaths  in  this  way.  This  man 
resolved  not  to  work  on  the  Sabbath,  but  to  make  all 
his  repairs  in  the  week  time.  The  first  man  told 
him  that  he  would  not  succeed,  and  that  if  he  should 
not  work  on  the  Sabbath,  he  would  lose  his  place. 
Then  he  said  he  would  leave  it.  But  he  did  not 
leave  it,  nor,  as  he  told  the  writer  himself,  did  he 
work  an  hour  on  the  Sabbath.  For  years  he  kept 
the  machinery  in  order  —  gave  the  utmost  satisfac- 
tion ;  and  all  concerned  acknowledged  that  all  things 
were  conducted  ''better  than  before." 

5* 


54 

82.  ''  Don't  say  Anything."  —  ''  T  have  not  been 
absent  from  church  on  the  Sabbath,"  said  a  man,  "  ei- 
ther morning  or  evening,  for  more  than  thirty  years." 
When  young,  he  often  broke  the  Sabbath,  and  some- 
times neglected  public  worship.  On  a  certain  Fri- 
day, when  his  first  child  was  about  four  months  old, 
he  sat  with  his  wife,  and  in  the  course  of  conversa- 
tion he  told  her  that  his  business  was  very  pressing, 
and  that  he  must  start  the  next  day  for  New  York. 
"  What,"  said  she,  "  start  on  Saturday,  and  be  out  on 
the  Sabbath?"  "  Yes,"  he  said,  "I  must  do  it." 
*'  O,"  said  she,  "I  hope  you  will  not ;  you  had  better 
stop  till  Monday."  '*  What,"  said  he,  "  lose  a  whole 
day?  "  She  replied,  "  Perhaps  it  will  not  be  a  loss. 
Men  do  not  generally  gain  any  thing  by  stealing." 
"  Stealing  ?  "  said  he.  ''  Yes,"  she  replied,  "  stealing. 
The  day  does  not  belong  to  you,  but  to  the  Lord  ; 
and  you  had  better  not  steal  his  day."  ''  O  wife," 
said  he,  "  do  not  talk  so,  I  shall  go!  "  She  said,  "  I 
hope  not.  It  would  grieve  me  much  to  have  you  go 
and  travel  on  the  Sabbath."  He  left  the  room,  and, 
somewhat  disturbed,  went  out  into  another  alone. 
He  sat  down,  laid  his  head  back  on  the  chair,  and 
fell  asleep.  In  his  sleep  he  dreamed  that  his  little 
babe  came  into  the  room.  At  that  he  was  surprised, 
as  he  did  not  know  before  that  it  could  go  alone  ;  and  it 
said  to  him,  "  Pa,  are  you  going  to  New  York  on  the 
Sabbath?"  He  answered,  '« Yes."  The  child  re- 
plied, with  great  emotion,  "  O  pa,  I  hope  you  will 
not.  It  would  grieve  me  much  to  have  you  steal." 
He  awoke,  and,  not  being  conscious  that  he  had  been 
asleep,  supposed  that  it  was  all  real.  He  looked 
round  for  the  child,  but  he  could  not  find  it.  He  rose 
up  in  haste,  went  out  to  his  wife,  and  asked  her, 
"  Where  is  the  child  ? "  She  told  him,  "  In  the  cham- 
ber, asleep."  "  Asleep  !"  said  he  :  ''has  it  not  been 
into  my  room  since  I  went  out  ?  "  She  told  him  ''  No." 
"  Don't  say  any  thing,"  said  he :  "  I  shall  not  go  to  New 


55 

York  to-morrow,  and  I  will  never  travel  again  on  the 
Sabbath."  After  relating  the  above  himself,  he  added, 
with  great  emphasis,  ''  I  never  have  ;  and  I  have  not 
been  absent  froin  church  on  the  Sabbath,  either  morn- 
ing or  evening,  for  more  than  thirty  years.^^  As 
might  have  been  expected,  he  is  now  a  wealthy, 
respectable,  and  useful  man. 

83.  Profitable  Reflection.  —  The  statement 
given  below,  in  a  business  letter  from  Michigan,  may 
furnish  profitable  reflection  to  those  who  think  to  in- 
crease their  wealth  by  trampling  upon  the  Sabbath. 

It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  your  readers  to  learn 
a  few  facts  in  reference  to  the  steam  mill,  on  which 
the  proprietors,  though  professors  of  religion,  were 
making  repairs  on  the  Sabbath  last  season,  some  ac- 
count of  which  was  given  in  the  Puritan  by  your 
correspondent  "  R.  W." 

"  That  mill  took  fire  last  spring,  and  was  consumed, 
together  with  about  a  thousand  dollars  worth  of  lum- 
ber. The  cost  of  the  mill  was  about  four  thousand  dol- 
lars ;  this,  with  the  loss  of  the  lumber,  would  be  five 
thousand  dollars.  The  engine,  in  a  state  considerably 
damaged,  and  also  some  lumber,  which  was  not  de- 
stroyed by  the  fire,  were  shipped  for  a  port  on  Lake 
Erie.  On  the  voyage,  a  storm  arose,  which  was  so  tem- 
pestuous, that  the  captain  of  the  vessel  threw  overboard 
the  lumber  and  a  part  of  the  machinery.  This  was  an 
additional  loss  of  some  hundreds.  But  this  is  not  the 
last  of  the  disasters.  One  of  the  owners,  in  order  to 
go  on  with  his  operations,  loaned  an  amount  of 
money  on  a  bank,  which  shortly  after  failed.  The 
mill  and  a  lot  of  lumber  are  in  ashes;  a  part  of  the 
engine  and  some  of  the  lumber  are  in  Lake  Erie,  and 
the  money  borrowed  for  the  purpose  of  rebuilding, 
is  about  as  worthless  as  rags !  " 

Now,  it  is  not  said  that  these  disasters  have  come 
in  consequence  of  a  violation  of  the  fourth  command- 


merit,  and  that,  too,  by  professors  of  religion.  Yet 
how  many,  regardless  of  consequences,  rush  on  in  a 
way  that  is  not  good,  in  order  to  gain  wealth !  The 
words  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  are  forgotten — ^^He 
that  hasteth  to  be  rich  hath  an  evil  eye,  and  con- 
sidereth  not  that  poverty  shall  come  upon  him." 

84.  The  new  Shuttle. — The  following  is  the 
account  which  a  man  gave  of  himself:  ''I  was 
engaged  in  a  manufactory.  On  the  Sabbath,  I  tried 
to  rest,  but  I  never  regarded  God  in  doing  it.  On 
one  beautiful  Sabbath  morning,  while  the  noise  was 
hushed,  and  the  day  was  all  that  loveliness  could 
make  it,  I  sat  alone  in  my  piazza,  and  I  went  to  work 
to  invent  a  new  kind  of  shuttle.  I  stopped  not  to 
eat  or  drink  till  the  sim  went  down.  By  that  time, 
I  had  the  invention  completed.  The  next  day  I 
exhibited  it,  boasting  of  my  day's  work,  and  was 
applauded.  The  shuttle  was  tried,  and  it  worked 
well.  We  branched  out,  enlarged  our  business,  and 
the  curse  of  God  was  on  me  from  that  day  forward. 
And  that  Sabbath-day's  work  cost  me  thirty  thou- 
sand dollars." 

85.  The  rich  Family. — A  minister  of  the  gos- 
pel was  settled  over  a  country  congregation.  On  his 
way  to  church,  he  often  passed  the  house  of  a  rich 
family,  who  spent  the  Sabbath  in  secular  business 
and  amusements.  With  the  man  he  often  conversed 
on  the  impiety  and  impolicy  of  such  a  course.  Yet 
the  family  continued  it.  The  man  died  a  drunkard. 
His  son  became  a  maniac.  His  daughter  killed  her- 
self, and  every  member  of  the  family  came  to  an 
untimely  end.  Could  the  history  of  each  member 
of  that  family  be  distinctly  traced,  it  would,  probably, 
be  found  that  Sabbath-breaking  had  no  small  influ- 
ence in  working  out  their  ruin. 


57 

86.  An  entire  Change.  —  A  man,  in  Massachu- 
setts, went  down  into  his  meadow  on  the  Sabbath  to 
stack  some  hay.  As  he  was  high  upon  the  stack,  he 
stumbled,  and  fell  over  backwards,  upon  a  sharp- 
pointed  stake,  which  pierced  through  the  fleshy  part 
of  his  thigh.  There  he  hung,  in  awful  agony,  and 
utterly  unable  to  extricate  himself  By  the  aid  of 
others,  however,  he  was  relieved.  He  recovered  from 
his  wound,  and  afterwards  lived  a  number  of  years. 
But  from  that  day  forward,  he  would  never  himself 
work,  nor  would  he  suffer  any  one  to  work  on  his 
farm,  on  the  Sabbath.  Some  may  call  this  super- 
stition, but  he  thought  it  loisdom. 

87.  Mark  the  End.  —  A  man  who  often  worked 
on  the  Sabbath,  lost  a  great  estate,  and  died  in  an 
almshouse.  Before  his  death,  some  one,  in  free  con- 
versation with  him  about  his  past  life,  asked  him  if  he 
thought  he  had  ever  gained  any  thing  by  working 
on  the  Sabbath.  He  answered,  "No;"  and  added, 
"  something  would  always  occur  in  the  course  of  the 
week,  by  which  I  lost  more  than  I  gained  by  work- 
ing on  the  Sabbath ;  it  was  of  no  profit  to  me." 
Such,  it  is  believed,  has  been  the  experience  of  many. 
For  a  time,  by  the  desecration  of  the  Sabbath,  some 
may  have  seemed  to  gain  ;  hut  mark  the  end^  and  you 
will  generally  find  that  it  has  been  of  no  profit.  In 
many  cases,  men  have  felt  this,  and  in  not  a  few,  have, 
like  this  man,  frankly  acknowledged  it. 

88.  "It  will  not  bear." — A  number  of  brothers 
were  for  years  engaged  in  the  business  of  boating. 
Often  they  kept  their  boats  running  on  the  Sabbath, 
in  order  the  faster  to  gain  property.  At  length  one 
of  them  was  taken  sick.  All  practicable  means  were 
used  to  restore  him,  but  his  illness  increased.  When 
it  became  evident  that  he  must  die,  he  called  his 
brethren  to  his  bedside,  and  besought  them  never  to 


run  their  boats  any  more  on  the  Sabbath,  for,  said  he, 
^^  It  will  not  hear?^  He  had  tried  it,  and  found  by 
experience,  that  it  will  not  bear  the  decisions  of  an 
enlightened  conscience ;  it  will  not  bear  the  scrutiny 
of  a  dying  hour,  the  awards  of  a  righteous  judgment, 
or  the  retributions  of  a  dread  eternity. 

The  survivors  complied  with  his  dying  request. 
From  that  day  forward  they  ran  their  boats  no  more 
on  the  Sabbath,  and,  as  they  believe,  they  were 
great  gainers  by  the  change. 

89.  A  Week  for  each  Sabbath  Day. — An  in- 
dustrious mechanic  found  himself  so  pressed  with 
business,  and  he  was  in  such  haste  to  be  rich,  that, 
contrary  to  his  previous  practice,  he  commenced  work- 
ing on  the  Sabbath,  and  continued  that  course  for  six 
weeks.  Then  a  little  pimple  appeared  on  his  wrist. 
It  increased ;  his  wrist  became  inflamed,  and  he  was 
unable  to  labor  for  forty-two  days ;  equal,  he  said,  to 
a  week  for  each  Sabbath  day  that  he  had  employed 
in  his  worldly  business. 

90.  The  broken  Resolution.  —  The  captain  of 
a  steamboat,  whose  conscience  had  often  condemned 
him  for  running  his  boat  on  the  Sabbath,  resolved 
that  he  would,  in  future,  abandon  the  practice.  His 
boat  was  put  in  first-rate  order,  and  he  started  on 
Friday  to  go  up  the  Mississippi.  His  machinery 
worked  finely,  his  boat  made  rapid  progress,  and  every 
thing  seemed  to  promise  a  prosperous  trip.  But,  in- 
stead of  stopping  on  the  Sabbath,  circumstances  were 
such,  that  he  concluded  to  continue  on  his  course. 
About  eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  his  fly-wheel 
broke,  and  his  machinery  flew  in  all  directions.  A 
piece  of  a  wheel,  weighing  upwards  of  a  hundred 
pounds,  was  thrown  near  the  head  of  the  engineer, 
went  through  the  floor,  and  fell  at  the  captain's  feet. 
Soon  after,  two  of  his  flat-boats,  loaded  with  corn,  a 


59 

keel-boat,  and  his  steamboat  were  sunk ;  and  all  these 
disasters  took  place  on  the  Sabbath  day.  In  relating 
these  circumstances  afterwards  to  a  friend,  "  That," 
said  he,   '•'  was  Sabbath  day  work." 

91.  "I  AM  GLAD  OF  IT."  —  A  farmer  was  engaged 
in  making  maple  sugar.  The  Sabbath  came,  and  the 
sap  ran  abundantly.  He  thought  that  it  would  not  be 
best  to  lose  it.  So  he  gathered  and  boiled  it  on  the 
Sabbath.  After  boiling  it  down  into  sirup,  he  turned 
it  into  a  large  trough,  which  he  kept  for  that  purpose. 
On  Monday,  this  trough,  through  carelessness,  was 
overturned,  and  all  his  Sabbath  day's  labor  was  lost. 
The  owner  was  absent  at  the  time,  and  when  he  was 
informed  of  his  loss,  he  brought  his  hands  together 
with  great  violence,  and  said,  with  peculiar  emphasis, 
"  I  am  glad  of  it  ;  for  my  conscience  has  constantly 
condemned  me,  and  I  have  had  no  rest  since  I  boiled 
it."  Conscience  enlightened  always  takes  the  side 
of  the  Sabbath,  and  condemns  the  man  who,  against 
knowledge,  violates  it.  And  many  a  man,  while  he 
violates  the  Sabbath  and  excuses  his  conduct,  knows 
that  it  is  wrong. 

92.  "  I  SAVED  MY  Money."  —  On  a  certain  occasion, 
the  lightning  struck  a  large  and  expensive  manufac- 
tory, and  burnt  it  to  ashes.  The  writer  of  this,  the 
next  morning,  after  surveying  the  smoking  ruins,  called 
upon  an  educated  and  very  intelligent  gentleman  in 
the  vicinity,  and  remarked  to  him  that  he  had  been 
examining  the  ruins.  "  I,"  said  the  gentleman,  "  was 
for  a  time  a  stockholder  in  that  manufactory  ;  but 
they  worked  there  on  the  Sabbath  ;  and  when  I  found 
that  1  could  not  stop  them,  I  sold  out,  for  I  knew  that 
it  was  not  safe  ;  and  so  /  saved  my  money.''' 

93.  ''It  is  good  enough  for  us."  —  On  one  of 
the  most  eligible  sites  in  New  England  was  erected 


@0 

a  large  and  expensive  manufactory.  It  was  filled 
with  machinery  of  the  first  order,  and  was  doing  an 
extensive  business.  While  the  workmen  were  em- 
ployed in  it,  on  the  Sabbath,  it  took  fire,  and  they 
were  obliged  to  escape  for  their  lives,  in  order  to  pre- 
vent being  consumed.  The  whole  establishment  was 
destroyed.  An  eminent  lawyer,  Avho  owned  stock  in 
it  to  the  amount  of  twelve  thousand  dollars,  in  view 
of  their  loss,  said,  "  It  is  good  enough  for  us ;  we 
ought  not  to  have  worked  in  it  on  the  Sabbath." 

94.  The  Mechanic  and  his  Apprentice.  —  A 
mechanic,  who  had  acquired  by  his  industry  and 
economy  about  twenty  thousand  dollars,  would  not 
permit  his  apprentice  to  work,  or  even  to  go  into  the 
shop,  on  the  Sabbath.  He  said  it  would  tend  to  in- 
jure him  in  future  life.  But,  as  his  own  character 
was  established,  and  he  knew  how  to  take  care  of 
himself,  he  thought,  at  a  certain  time,  when  business 
was  very  good,  that  he  could  work  on  the  Sabbath, 
and  not  be  injured  by  it ;  and  that  he  could  make 
money  faster  than  he  could  by  resting  on  that  day. 
He  tried  it.  Instead  of  attending  church,  he  spent 
the  Sabbath  in  his  shop.  Not  many  years  after,  he 
became  a  drunkard.  He  squandered  away  and  lost 
his  twenty  thousand  dollars;  and,  in  a  fit  of  delirium 
tremens,  jumped  out  of  the  chamber  window,  broke 
his  bones,  and  died.  His  apprentice,  who,  at  first, 
might  not,  and  who  afterwards  would  not,  work  on 
the  Sabbath,  and  who  gave  the  writer  the  above 
account,  is  still  living.  He  keeps  the  Sabbath,  and  is 
prosecuting  the  same  business  which  he  learned  from 
his  master,  and  has  become  an  able,  respectable,  and 
useful  man. 

95.  The  Rev.  Mr.  .     He  refused  to  go  in 

the  boat  which  started  from  Pittsburg  on  Saturday 
evening,  lest  he  should  be  out  on  the  Sabbath.     On 


61 

Monday,  he  took  a  boat  for  Cincinnati.  Before  Tues- 
day night,  he  passed  the  boat  which  started  on  Satur- 
day evening.  It  had  repeatedly  gotten  aground,  and 
in  various  ways  been  hindered  ;  and  he  arrived  at  Cin- 
cinnati, after  a  pleasant  trip,  much  sooner  than  he  would 
have  done  had  he  gone  in  the  Saturday  evening  boat. 

96.  Duelling  Fashion,  —  A  lad  in  Massachu- 
setts went  out  with  a  pistol,  on  the  Sabbath,  in  order 
to  shoot  some  birds.  He  saw  one,  and  determined  to 
shoot  him,  as  men  shoot  when  they  attempt  to  mur- 
der one  another  in  a  duel.  He  raised  up  his  pistol, 
and  carried  it  so  far  back  that  it  pointed  toward  his 
own  shoulder.  In  that  position  it  was  unexpectedly 
discharged,  and  he  was  shot  through  the  body.  He 
lingered  for  a  time  in  great  agony,  and  died.  Duelling 
fashion  is  not  a  good  fashion,  especially  on  the  Sabbath. 

97.  The  Bankrupt  Act. — Great  efforts  were 
made  in  ,  at  a  certain  time,  to  close  all  ware- 
houses, stores,  and  shops,  on  the  Sabbath,  that  all 
employed  in  them  might  enjoy  the  rest  and  privileges 
of  the  day.  One  man,  supposed  then  to  be  worth 
half  a  million  of  dollars,  violently  opposed  these  efforts, 
and  said  he  would  keep  his  store  open  and  continue 
his  business  on  the  Sabbath,  whether  others  did  or 
not,  and  his  men  should  continue  their  work.  He 
did  so,  but  failed  in  business,  and  was  one  of  the 
first  men  in  that  place  who  took  the  advantage  of 
the  bankrupt  act. 

98.  The  insolvent  Postmaster. — A  postmaster 
was  accustomed  to  open  his  post-office  on  the  Sabbath. 
He  became  convinced  that  it  was  wrong  thus  to  vio- 
late the  command  of  God  ;  but  as  his  office  was  lucra- 
tive, he  concluded  to  continue  in  it,  and  open  it  on 
the  Sabbath,  till  he  should  acquire  money  enough  to 
pay  for  his  farm,  and  then  he  would  leave  his  office. 

No.  5.  6 


62 

But  before  he  was  ready  to  leave  it,  he  was  found  to 
be  insolvent,  and  to  the  amount  of  more  than  ten 
thousand  dollars.  Had  he  left  his  office  when  he  be- 
came convinced  that  to  open  and  distribute  the  mails 
on  the  Sabbath  was  wicked,  he  might  have  saved  his 
property,  and  avoided  a  vast  amount  of  guilt. 

99.  The  Cask  of  Sugar. — At  a  wharf  in  a  sea- 
port, a  number  of  men  were  unloading  a  vessel.  Hav- 
ing raised  a  cask  of  sugar  up  over  their  heads,  the  rope 
broke,  and  down  it  came,  grazing,  as  it  fell,  the  head  of 
one  of  the  men.  He  started,  and  exclaimed, ''  That  is 
working  on  the  Sabbath."  They  all  stood  astonished 
at  his  narrow  escape,  then  went  away,  and  did  noth- 
ing more  to  unload  the  vessel  on  that  day.  Men 
who  work  on  the  Sabbath  know  that  it  is  wrong: 
Their  conscience,  when  awakened,  condemns  them. 
Had  the  cask  of  sugar  fallen  a  few  inches  farther  one 
way,  that  man  had  been  instantly  killed ;  and  what 
good  reason  could  he  have  offered  to  his  Judge  for 
breaking  his  command — "  Six  days  shalt  thou  labor 
and  do  all  thy  work,  but  remember  the  Sabbath  day, 
keep  it  holy,  and  in  it  do  no  work  "  ? 

100.  Testimony  of  Boston  Civilians.  —  With  re- 
gard to  the  crimes  of  fraud,  theft,  arson,  burglary, 
robbery,  and  murder,  a  number  of  distinguished  civil- 
ians in  Boston,  in  a  public  document,  use  the  follow- 
ing language,  viz. :  "  Who  does  not  know  that  these 
crimes  are  perpetrated,  almost  exclusively,  by  persons 
who  have  been  in  the  habit  of  violating  the  Sabbath  ? 
In  one  of  our  state  prisons,  containing  five  or  six 
hundred  convicts,  particular  inquiry  was  made  on  the 
subject.  The  history  of  one  was  the  history  of  all. 
They  had  never  observed  the  Sabbath,  or  they  had 
ceased  to  observe  it  before  they  committed  the  crimes 
for  which  they  we?'e  suffering'  the  vengeance  of  the 
lawsy 


63 

101.  A  RESPECTED  CiTizEN. — A  gentleman,  high- 
ly gifted  and  much  distinguished  by  civil  honors, 
soon  after  the  Erie  Canal  was  opened,  invested  many 
thousand  dollars  in  a  line  of  packet-boats,  which  he, 
against  the  wishes  and  remonstrances  of  many  of  his 
friends,  ran  on  Sundays.  The  receipts  were  large, 
and  promised  great  and  speedy  acquisitions  to  his  al- 
ready competent  fortune. 

Not  long  after,  the  friends  of  the  Sabbath  made  a 
united  and  public  effort  to  arrest  its  desecration.  This 
gentleman  opposed  them  with  all  his  gigantic  powers; 
and  on  one  occasion,  at  the  head  of  a  mob  iie  had 
collected,  entered  a  meeting  convened  to  consider 
what  could  be  done  to  promote  the  better  observance 
of  that  day,  and  broke  it  up.  Thus  things  went  on 
from  bad  to  worse.  At  length,  suddenly,  as  in  a  mo- 
ment, his  whole  system  was  paralyzed;  his  mind 
lost  its  vigor,  and  sunk  into  a  morbid  state  of  deplor- 
able melancholy  ;  a  more  unhappy  mortal  apparently 
never  existed.  A  dreadful  sense  of  sin,  especially  the 
sin  of  Sabbath-breaking,  rested  upon  him.  This  he 
confessed  to  his  minister,  adding,  that  he  expected  to 
go  to  hell  ;  everything  was  against  him ;  what  he 
felt  was  a  judgment  from  Heaven,  in  consequence  of 
his  opposition  to  the  Sabbath  and  Sabbath  efforts. 
He  seemed  to  feel,  he  said,  for  such  wickedness,  the 
arrows  of  the  Almighty,  barbed  and  pointed  as  the 
lightnings  of  heaven,  penetrating  his  vitals,  and  he 
warring  and  pressing  against  them ;  the  poison  where- 
of drank  up  his  spirits.  After  remaining  in  this  situ- 
ation eight  or  ten  years,  a  terror  to  himself,  and  an 
object  of  inexpressible  anxiety  to  his  family,  a  kind 
Providence  restored  him  again  to  his  right  mind. 

102.  The  Captain.  —  The  captain  of  a  line  of 
packet-boats,  being  much  labored  with  to  keep  him 
from  contracting  to  run  them  on  Sunday,  said,  ^'  If  I 
should  cause  the  teams  to  lie  by  on  Sunday,  it  would 

/ 


H 

cost  me  three  hundred  dollars  at  least,  and  I  am  not 
able  to  sustain  the  loss."  "  But  sir,"  it  was  answered, 
"  there  will  be  nothing  lost,  in  the  long  run,  in  obey- 
ing the  laws  of  God  and  of  our  country  touching  the 
Sabbath."  ''I  don't  know  as  there  would  be  ;  but  I 
C£innot  7102a  sustain  any  loss."  "But  sir,"  it  was  re- 
plied, *'  if  you  violate  in  this  Avay  the  law  of  God  and 
infringe  the  rights  of  those  you  employ,  how  will  you 
answer  it  at  the  bar  of  God?  "  As  quick  as  thought, 
he  replied,  ''  O,  I  expect  to  repent  before  I  die  !  " 

The  next  day,  being  a  civil  man,  he  called  to  apol- 
ogize for  the  remark.  No  doubt  his  conscience  set 
home  the  answer  that  he  might  die  suddenly,  lose  his 
reason,  or  become  hardened  in  iniquity,  and  die  ac- 
cursed. Nevertheless,  his  line  was  fitted  out  in  fine 
style  —  run  on  Sundays  as  on  other  days,  but,  as  we 
are  informed,  at  a  loss  of  nine  thousand  dollars.  The 
next  spring,  the  entire  concern  —  horses,  boats,  furni- 
ture, &c. — was  sold  at  auction  to  the  highest  bid- 
der. The  captain  was  a  bankrupt  —  nine  thousand 
dollars  worse  off,  at  least,  than  he  was  when  he  said, 
**I  expect  to  repent  before  I  die." 

103.  The  Lawyer.  —  A  distinguished  lawyer  was 
kindly  reproved  for  drawing  declarations  and  doing 
other  official  business  on  Sunday  ;  for  he  was  sur- 
rounded with  applicants  and  crowded  with  business. 
At  this  he  was  offended,  when  the  following  conver- 
sation took  place  :  "  Sir,  you,  too,  have  a  case,  to  be 
tried  in  the  court  of  Heaven,  which  will  come,  soon- 
er or  later,  and  you  are  not  prepared  for  it.  Your 
witnesses  are  not  summoned  ;  your  advocate  is  not 
secured  ;  and  all,  of  any  importance  in  insuring  suc- 
cess, remains  undone.  The  case  is  not  a  petty  one, 
but  involves  your  all  —  your  eternal  life  ;  and  it  may 
come  on  to-morrow. 

''  The  Sabbath  is  given  you  "  (for  the  conversation 
took  place  on  Sunday)  "  that  you  may  secure  your 


65 

counsel,  and  make  every  necessary  preparation  for  the 
important  trial ;  but  here  you  sit,  drawing  this  decla- 
ration for  your  client  —  devoting  the  precious  hours 
to  the  comparatively  worthless  interests  of  your  client, 
of  the  consequence,  perhaps,  of  ten  or  twenty  dollars, 
to  the  entire  neglect  of  your  eternal  well  being. 

''Now,  would  you,  if  you  knew  the  summons  would 
be  sent  to  call  you  to  that  dread  trial  to-morrow,  sit 
here  and  finish  this  declaration  ?  "  After  a  moment's 
pause, — for  he  had  been  religiously  educated,  and  could 
not  easily  do  the  violence  to  his  conscience  he  was 
about  to  do,  —  he  tremblingly  replied,  ''If  I  neglect  the 
interests  of  my  clients,  I  shall  lose  my  business."  And 
here  again  he  hesitated.  The  speaker,  beholding  the 
struggle  in  his  breast,  witnessing  the  sudden  changes 
in  his  countenance,  and  fearing  lest  he  should  seal  his 
ruin,  was  about  to  relieve  him,  when  he  resolutely 
proceeded  —  "  Yes,  T  would  first  do  my  duty  to  my 
client ! "  This  was  some  fifteen  years  ago ;  and 
though  he  still  lives,  — doing  very  little  in  his  profes- 
sional business,  —  from  that  time  he  began  to  wane. 
Long  has  he  been  nearly  bankrupt  in  character  and 
in  present  and  future  prospects  as  to  the  riches  of  this 
world.  His  ambition  and  covetousness  seem  to  have 
done  him  no  good. 

104.  The  forwarding  House. — A  few  years 
since,  in  a  northern  city,  great  effort  was  made  to 
persuade  forwarders,  sailors,  and  boatmen  to  give  up 
their  Sunday  occupations.  Most  of  the  forwarders 
readily  consented.  One  of  the  firms  that  did  not, 
among  the  largest,  and  suj)posed  to  be  very  wealthy, 
raised  many  objections,  wliich  called  for  much  labor 
with  them,  and  from  many  individuals ;  but  all  with- 
out success.  They  opened  their  warehouse,  run  their 
steamboats,  vessels,  and  canal-boats  on  Sundays,  not- 
withstanding all  remonstrances. 

But  before  the  year  came  around,  their  large  ware- 
6* 


66 


house,  with  every  thing  in  it,  was  burnt  to  ashes. 
Their  steamboat  was  much  damaged.  During  a 
heavy  gale,  they  lost  a  vessel  and  twenty  thousand 
dollars'  worth  of  goods.  Upon  hearing  this,  one  of 
them  exclaimed,  "/^  is  because  toe  break  the  Sab- 
hath:' 

105.  The  Fault  of  his  Mother.  —  A  mother 
permitted  her  son  to  go  out  on  the  Sabbath,  with  his 
sled,  in  the  winter,  to  slide  down  hill.  The  hill  was 
very  steep  ;  and  while  descending  with  great  rapidity, 
the  sled  struck  against  a  fence,  and  bruised  the  boy's 
head  and  face  in  a  most  shocking  manner.  He  was 
in  great  distress,  and  his  wounds,  it  was  feared,  would 
be  mortal.  But  by  the  assistance  of  a  skilful  physi- 
cian, and  good  nursing,  through  the  kindness  of  Prov- 
idence, he  was  restored,  but  will  carry  on  his  face,  to 
his  dying  day,  the  disfiguring  marks  of  his  mother's 
sin  in  permitting  him,  and  his  own  wickedness  in 
being  disposed,  thus  to  desecrate  the  Sabbath. 

106.  The  ENTERPRISING  Manufacturer.  —  A  man- 
ufacturer, of  great  enterprise,  ran  a  part  of  his  ma- 
chinery on  the  Sabbath.  A  breakage  occurred,  and 
a  part  of  the  Sabbath  day  was  spent  in  making  re- 
pairs. On  the  evening  of  that  day,  his  mill  took  fire, 
and  his  saw  mill,  his  grist  mill,  machine  shop,  and 
cotton  manufactory,  with  their  appurtenances,  were 
all  consumed. 

107.  The  deep  Valley.  —  A  farmer,  who  lived  in 
a  deep  valley,  put  up  in  his  field  ten  stacks  of  hay. 
Nine  were  put  up  in  the  week  time,  and  one  on  the 
Sabbath.  Three  Sabbaths  after,  there  was  a  thunder- 
storm ;  and  although  the  lightning  rarely  strikes  in 
that  valley  so  low,  yet  in  this  case  it  struck  and  con- 
sumed one  of  the  stacks  of  hay,  —  and  that  was  the 
one  which  was  put  up  on  the  Sabbath,  —  while  the 
other  nine  remained  as  before. 


67 

108.  The  inconsiderate  Lady.  —  A  distinguished 
lady  was  disposed  to  take  the  cars  and  start  on  a  dis- 
tant journey  on  the  Sabbath.  Her  friends  advised 
her  to  wait  till  Monday.  She,  however,  resolving  not 
to  be  superstitious,  determined  to  go,  thinking  that 
it  would  be  just  as  well  as  to  start  on  any  other  day. 
She  bade  her  friends  good-by,  took  her  seat,  and 
set  out  on  her  joprney.  But  she  had  not  gone  far, 
when  one  of  the  rails,  called  a  snake's  head,  was 
thrust  up  through  the  bottom  of  the  car,  and  she  was 
so  severely  wounded,  that  she  was  brought  back,  and 
died. 

109.  The  nineteen  Merchants. — A  man  kept  a 
tavern  about  a  day's  ride  from  Boston.  Merchants 
from  a  neighboring  state,  on  their  way  to  the  city  to 
purchase  goods,  were  accustomed  to  stop  at  his  house. 
Among  them  were  numbers  who  often  arrived  on 
Saturday  evening,  and  started  for  Boston  on  Sabbath 
morning.  On  their  return,  they  arrived  at  his  house 
on  Sabbath  evening,  having  started  from  Boston  on 
Sabbath  morning,  and  thus,  as  they  thought,  saved  a 
day.  In  the  course  of  years,  he  noted  down  nine- 
teen of  this  description ;  and  he  used,  from  time  to 
time,  to  inquire  about  them,  to  see  if  they  prospered 
any  better  than  their  Sabbath-keeping  neighbors. 
The  following  was  the  result,  viz. :  fifteen  out  of 
nineteen  became  intemperate,  and  failed  ;  three  moved 
away,  to  another  part  of  the  country,  two  of  whom 
became  intemperate,  and  failed ;  one  about  held  his 
own ;  and  the  other  continued  his  business,  and  was 
the  man  to  whom,  when  about  to  start  from  this 
tavern  for  Boston  on  Sabbath  morning,  the  tavern- 
keeper  related  the  above  facts.  He  afterwards  related 
them  to  another  gentleman,  from  whom  the  writer 
received  them. 

110.  The  decided  Sailor. — A  sailor  on  board  a 

* 


m 

steamboat  was  going  up  the  Mississippi  River.  The 
captain  ordered  him  to  assist  in  landing  some  freight 
on  the  Sabbath.  To  this  he  objected,  saying  that 
he  could  not  conscientiously  do  unnecessary  work  on 
the  Sabbath.  The  captain  replied,  "  We  have  no 
Sabbaths  on  these  water s.^^  The  sailor  said,  as  for 
himself,  he  endeavored,  wherever  he  was,  to  keep  the 
Sabbath.  The  captain  then  said,  "  Procure  some 
one,  then,  in  your  stead."  That,  he  said,  he  could 
not  do ;  but  if  the  captain  would  pay  him  his  wages, 
he  would  leave  the  boat.  He  did.  The  boat  pro- 
ceeded. But  she  had  not  gone  far,  when  her  boiler 
burst,  and  several  persons  were  killed.  "  I  was  truly 
thankful,"  said  the  sailor,  "for  my  escape.  It  has 
taught  me  a  lesson  —  to  be  prompt  and  decided  in 
refusing  to  do  wrongs  whatever  consequences  may 
appear  likely  to  follow ^ 

111.  The  Oyster  Vessel.  —  Oyster  vessels  from 
Connecticut  used  to  be  loaded  with  hay,  potatoes, 
&c.,  for  Norfolk,  Ya.  There  the  cargo  was  sold  ;  then 
the  vessel  was  taken  up  the  Chesapeake  and  loaded 
with  oysters.  A  number  of  vessels  were  ready  to  start 
on  this  expedition  on  a  certain  Saturday  evening.  On 
Sabbath  morning,  as  the  day  was  fair  and  the  wind 
right,  most  of  them  left   the  harbor.     But  Captain 

would  not  sail  because  it  was  the  Sabbath.     The 

owners  remonstrated.  The  weather  was  then  fine  — 
the  wind  was  uncertain  —  the  other  vessels  had  gone 
—  they  would  arrive  first  at  Norfolk  —  would  glut 
the  market,  cfcc.  But  the  captain  would  not  go.  It 
was  communion  day  at  his  church,  and  the  Sabbath 
was  the  Lord's.  For  a  number  of  days  after,  the 
weather  was  unfavorable,  the  wind  was  contrary. 
Many  blamed  him  for  not  going  when  he  could.  He 
at  last  left  the  harbor,  praying  for  a  blessing  on  his 
voyage.  When  he  reached  Norfolk,  not  a  vessel  that 
sailed  on  the  Sabbath  had  arrived.     A  man  called 


69 

and  purchased  his  cargo.  In  two  days,  he  was  ready- 
to  run  up  the  Chesapeake.  He  obtained  his  load  and 
returned  home  in  safety  a  number  of  days  before  any 
other  vessel,  or  before  he  probably  would  have  done 
had  he  sailed  on  the  Sabbath. 

112.  "You  ARE  THE  Cause."  —  As  a  gentleman 
was  returning,  late  in  the  evening,  from  his  office,  a 
young  man  came  up  behind  him  with  a  pistol  and 
shot  him  through  the  head.  He  then  robbed  him 
and  fled.  He  was  taken,  convicted,  and  condemned 
to  be  hanged.  As  he  lay  in  his  prison,  previous  to  his 
execution,  his  mother  came  to  see  him,  and  take  her 
final  leave  of  him.  As  she  approached,  he  spurned 
her  away,  and  said,  "  You  are  the  cause  of  this.  You 
encouraged  me,  when  I  was  a  boy,  to  rob  orchards  on 
the  Sabbath,  while  the  owners  were  at  meeting,  and 
you  partook  with  me  of  the  fruit.  Had  you  not 
encouraged  me  to  break  the  Sabbath,  I  never  should 
have  been  in  this  condition.  Now  I  am  ruined,  and 
you  are  the  cause.^^ 

113.  The   Captain  who    prated. — A  man  who 

had  learned  by  experience  that  it  is  better  to  keep 
the  Sabbath  than  to  violate  it,  owned  a  vessel  on  the 
North  River.  He  charged  the  captain  never  to  leave 
the  port  on  the  Sabbath,  however  fair  the  wind  might 
be.  After  having  been  detained  for  a  time  in  the 
harbor,  the  captain  awoke  one  Sabbath  morning,  and 
found  the  wind  fair.  He  arose,  kneeled  down,  and 
prayed,  with  regard  to  his  duty  as  to  going  out ;  and 
finally,  notwithstanding  what  his  owner  had  said,  he 
concluded  to  go. 

He  arrived  safely  in  New  York ;  but  he  could  not 
unload  his  vessel  for  three  days ;  so  that  he  gained 
nothing  as  to  time  by  coming  so  soon.  One  hinder- 
ance  occurred  after  another,  then  another,  in  rapid 
succession.     His  voyage  was  long  and  exceedingly 


70 

vexatious.  On  his  return,  he  said,  ''  That  is  the  last 
time  I  leave  a  harbor  on  the  Sabbath.  Though  the 
wind  should  change  and  be  ever  so  fair,  I  will  lie 
stilJ."  He  has  done  so,  and  found  the  advantage  of  it. 
Men  often  pray,  not  to  learn  what  is  right  for  the 
purpose  of  doing  it,  but  to  quiet  conscience  in  doing 
wrong. 

114.  My  Uncle. — A  man  in  the  state  of  New 
York,  after  hearing  the  statement  of  a  particular  case, 
said,  "  That  puts  me  in  mind  of  my  uncle.  He  was 
a  great  farmer,  and  one  year  he  had  a  large  quantity 
of  wheat.  After  it  was  reaped,  for  a  number  of  days 
the  weather  was  rainy.  On  the  Sabbath  it  was  fair. 
He  mustered  all  his  hands,  and  went  to  work  on 
his  wheat.  He  spent  the  day  in  drying  it  and  getting 
it  into  his  barns,  of  which  he  had  two  standing  near 
together.  His  neighbors  left  their  wheat  in  the  fields, 
attended  church,  and  kept  the  Sabbath  as  usual.  At 
the  close  of  the  day,  he  took  occasion  to  speak  to 
his  workmen  of  the  folly  of  his  neighbors  in  going 
off  to  meeting,  and  leaving  their  wheat  out,  exposed 
to  the  weather.  '  Now,'  said  he,  '  it  may  rain  again 
to-morrow,  and  they  may  lose  their  wheat.  The  next 
year  they  will  be  coming  to  me  to  buy  wheat.  But 
I  shall  not  let  them  have  any  without  a  good  high 
price.'  He  had  provided  a  roasted  lamb  for  supper, 
and  they  went  into  his  house  to  eat,  drink,  and  be 
merry.  Soon  after  they  were  seated,  a  little  cloud 
arose,  and  came  up,  looking  dark  and  threatening. 
The  lightning  darted  here  and  there,  and  the  thunder 
rolled.  At  length  it  struck  his  barn,  and  both  barns, 
with  all  their  contents,  were  consumed. 

"  My  uncle  seemed  to  be  very  much  affected  ;  and 
from  that  time  forward,  he  never  worked  any  more  on 
the  Sabbath.  Though  I  was  but  a  little  boy,  it  made 
a  strong  impression  on  my  mind,  and  it  has  kept  me 
from  working  on  the  Sabbath  ever  since.     The  next 


n 

day  was  very  fair.  His  neighbors  went  to  work 
among  their  wheat  —  dried  and  secured  it  in  good 
order.  They  had  no  occasion,  the  next  year,  to  buy 
wheat  of  my  uncle,  and  he  had  none  to  sell." 

115.  From  a  Clergyman. — In  the  early  part  of 
July  last,  I  called  on  a  farmer,  who,  with  his  family, 
had  recently  moved  to  this  place.  In  conversation,  I 
reminded  hiin,  that  it  gave  me  pleasure  to  see  him 
sometimes  in  the  house  of  God  on  the  Sabbath.  He 
observed,  that  he  usually  chose  to  attend  meeting, 
except  in  haying-tiine ;  and  then  he  felt  justified  in 
staying  at  home,  to  watch  the  showers  and  take  care 
of  his  property.  On  my  expressing  regret  that  he 
was  in  the  habit  of  making  hay  on  the  Lord's  day, 
he  stoutly  vindicated  his  course,  and  thought  it  all 
right.  I  left  him  with  this  admonition,  —  "  Sooner 
or  later,  my  friend,  you  will  find  it  expensive  business 
to  make  hay  on  the  Sabbath."  Within  a  few  weeks 
of  this  interview,  his  capacious  barn  became  filled  to 
overflowing  with  hay,  and  he  began  to  rejoice  in  view 
of  the  works  his  hands  had  wrought.  But,  alas !  the 
poor  man  was  doomed  to  disappointment.  A  thunder- 
storm arose,  and  the  lightning  of  heaven  played 
around  his  property,  and  at  a  stroke  his  barn,  con- 
taining three  hundred  dollars  Avorth  of  hay,  was  laid 
in  ashes.     "  Wisdom  is  profitable  to  direct." 

116.  The  Mill  Dam. — In  order  to  avoid  the 
stopping  of  the  running  of  a  manufactory  during  the 
week  time,  in  consequence  of  a  change  which  was  to 
be  made  in  the  watercourse,  the  needful  work  was 
done  on  the  Sabbath.  In  a  few  days,  the  dam  and 
bulkhead  gave  way ;  the  work  done  on  the  Sabbath 
was  demolished,  and  the  machinery,  notwithstanding 
all  efforts  to  prevent  it,  stood  still  long  enough  to 
make  the  proposed  change  in  the  week  time,  and  give 
the  owner  opportunity  to  reflect  upon  the  wickedness 


72 

and  folly  of  his  conduct  in  attempting  to  benefit  him- 
self by  working  on  the  Sabbath. 

117.  The  loaded  Gun. — A  gun  that  was  loaded 
in  the  usual  way,  and  had  been  discharged  with  safety 
hundreds  of  times,  was  taken  down  on  the  Sabbath 
and  discharged,  for  the  purpose  of  killing  some  game. 
But  instead  of  killing  the  game,  it  burst  into  frag- 
ments, to  the  imminent  hazard  of  the  life  of  him 
who  discharged  it.  Had  he  been  at  the  house  of 
God,  and  engaged,  with  his  fellow-men,  in  worship- 
ping his  Maker,  as  he  should  have  been,  he  might 
have  avoided  that  danger,  and  avoided  also  the  guilt 
of  trampling  on  laws  the  observance  of  which  is 
essential  to  the  honor  of  Jehovah  and  the  welfare  of 
the  himian  soul. 

118.  Repair  on  Sunday,  and  break  on  Mon- 
day.—  A  gentleman  who  had  become  interested  in 
a  manufactory,  determined  to  depart  from  what  had 
been  the  former  custom,  and  to  have  no  repairs  made 
on  the  Sabbath.  He  tried  it,  and  found  that  it  worked 
well.  He  was  afterwards  called  to  take  charge  of 
another  and  a  larger  establishment.  There  it  had  also 
been  the  custom  to  make  repairs  on  the  Sabbath. 
Yet  it  had  so  often  been  followed  by  breakages  during 
the  week,  that  it  had  become  a  proverb  with  the 
workmen,  ''  Repair  oti  Sunday  and  break  on  Mon- 
day.'- This  was  not  on  account  of  any  particular 
religious  scruples  about  the  Sabbath,  but  it  had  arisen 
from  the  fact  that  extensive  repairs  on  this  day  had 
so  often  been  followed  by  speedy  and  extensive  break- 
ages. -  Similar  have  been  the  facts  in  other  establish- 
ments. As  the  writer  was  informed  by  a  respectable 
gentleman  who  was  brought  up  in  a  manufactory, 
even  children,  when  they  have  seen  a  large  number 
of  workmen  going  out  to  make  repairs  on  the  Sab- 
bath, have  exulted,  and  said  one  to  another,  "■  We 
shall  have  a  play-day  this  week." 


73 

In  this  new  establishment  the  gentleman  above 
mentioned  adopted  the  same  course  Avhich  he  had 
pursued  in  the  one  he  had  left.  On  a  certain  Mon- 
day, a  director  from  the  city  came  out,  and  found 
the  mill  standing  still  and  the  workmen  engaged  in 
making  repairs.  He  inquired  the  cause,  and  was  told 
that  the  agent  had  forbidden  them  to  make  repairs 
on  the  Sabbath.  He  said,  ''  This  will  never  do. 
You  may  have  as  much  religion  as  you  please,  but 
repairs  must  be  made  on  Sunday."  The  agent  said, 
"  No,  not  while  I  have  the  care  of  the  mill."  He  then 
proposed  to  make  an  experiment  for  a  year,  and  see 
if  they  would  not  make  as  much  cloth,  and  of  as  good 
quality,  as  when  they  made  repairs  on  the  Sabbath. 
The  director  finally  consented.  At  the  end  of  six 
months,  examination  was  made,  and  the  result 
showed  that  they  had  made  more  cloth,  and  of  a 
better  quality,  and  all  concerned  were  satisfied  from 
the  facts,  that  they  were  gainers  by  resting  on  the 
Sabbath. 

119.  Atheists  and  Infidels.  —  K  missionary  in 
Michigan  communicated,  through  the  Home  Mission- 
ary, the  following  facts :  — 

"  There  are  four  families  of  atheists  and  infidels 
living  in  a  neighborhood  by  themselves.  The  men 
are  noted  as  the  contemners  of  God,  and  Christ,  and  the 
Christian  religion,  and  moral  law.  One  of  them  boasted 
that  he  would  sow  his  wheat  on  the  Sabbath,  and  reap 
it  on  the  Sabbath,  and  let  the  Presbyterians  and  Meth- 
odists know  that  he  could  have  as  good  a  crop  as 
any  body.  Ground  enough  was  cultivated  to  have 
produced  five  hundred  bushels.  Some  time  before  the 
harvest,  there  came  a  hail  storm  upon  the  fields  of 
these  atheists,  and  almost  annihilated  their  wheat 
crop ;  and  there  the  storm  ceased,  without  essentially 
injuring  the  fields  of  others.  The  one  who  made  the 
boast,  obtained  only  eight  bushels,  where  a  fair  yield 
No.  5.  7 


would  have  been  two  hundred.     Who  can  doubt  it 
was  the  Lord's  work? 

"  After  hearing  several  persons  speak  of  this  hail- 
storm, I  visited  a  man  who  lives  next  door  to  these 
people,  who  confirmed  the  statement  1  had  received 
from  others." 

120.  Another  Warning.  —  We  learn  from  the 
Norwich  Reporter,  that  Gordon  Sheffield  was  drowned 
near  Stonington  borough,  last  Sabbath,  while  on  a 
gunning  excursion.  Will  the  living  lay  it  to  heart  ? 
He  was  in  the  habit  of  using  the  Sabbath  for  his  own 
pleasure,  as  others  still  are  who  were  his  companions 
m  sin.  He  was  warned  of  the  guilt  of  Sabbath- 
breaking,  but  persisted  in  the  practice.  God  bore 
with  his  sin  for  years,  and  gave  him  opportunity  to 
forsake  it ;  but  he  would  not.  He  broke  the  Sab- 
bath once  too  much,  and  God  cut  him  off.  "  He 
that,  being  often  reproved,  hardeneth  his  neck,  shall 
suddenly  be  destroyed,  and  that  without  remedy." 
Will  the  living  believe  this,  and  take  timely  warn- 
ing ?  —  New  London  News. 

121.  Niagara  Falls. — At  about  sundown,  last 
Sabbath  evening,  a  man  was  carried  over  the  falls. 
Who  he  was  is  not  known.  I  was  on  the  head  of 
Goat  Island  when  I  first  discovered  the  boat.  It  was 
directed  towards  the  American  shore.  Being  well 
acquainted  with  the  river,  I  regarded  the  position  of 
the  boat  as  extraordinary  and  hazardous,  and  watched 
it  with  intense  anxiety.  While  constantly  approach- 
ing nearer  and  nearer  the  rapids,  I  could  discover  it 
was  gaining  the  American  shore,  and  by  the  time  it 
had  got  near  the  first  fall  in  the  rapids,  about  half  a 
mile  above  Goat  Island,  it  was  directly  above  the  island. 
The  only  hope  seemed  to  be  to  come  directly  to  Goat 
Island,  and  whether  I  should  run  half  a  mile  to  give 
alarm,  or  remain   to   assist,  in   the   event  the  boat 


75 

attempted  to  make  the  island,  was  a  question  of  pain- 
ful doubt.  I  ran  for  the  bridge,  saw  and  informed  a 
gentleman  and  lady,  just  leaving  the  island,  but  they 
seemed  unable  to  reply  or  move.  I  rallied  a  man  at 
the  toll  gate  ;  we  ran  to  the  bridge  in  time  to  see  the 
boat  just  before  it  got  to  the  first  large  fall  in  the 
rapids.  The  man  was  standing  at  the  stern  with  his 
oar,  changing  the  course  of  the  boat  down  the  cur- 
rent ;  and  as  it  plunged  over,  he  sat  down.  I  was 
astonished  to  see  the  boat  rise  with  the  mast  and  sail 
standing,  and  the  man,  again  erect,  directing  the  boat 
toward  the  shore.  As  he  came  to  the  next  and  each 
succeeding  fall,  he  sat  down,  and  then  would  rise  and 
apply  his  oar  in  the  intermediate  current.  Still  there 
was  hope  that  he  Avould  come  near  enough  to  the  pier 
to  jump  :  but  in  a  moment  it  was  gone  ;  —  another, 
that  he  might  jump  upon  the  rock  near  the  bridge  j 
but  the  current  dashed  him  from  it  under  the  bridge, 
breaking  the  mast.  Again  he  rose  on  the  opposite 
side.  Taking  his  oar,  and  pointing  his  boat  toward 
the  main  shore,  he  cried,  ^  Had  I  better  jump  from 
the  boat  ? '  We  could  not  answer,  for  either  seemed 
certain  destruction.  Within  a  few  rods  of  the  falls, 
the  boat  struck  a  rock,  turned  over,  and  lodged.  He 
appeared  to  crawl  from  under  it,  and  swam  with  the 
oar  in  his  hand,  till  he  went  over  the  precipice. 

"  Without  the  power  to  render  assistance,  for  half 
an  hour  watching  a  strong  man  struggling  with  every 
nerve  for  life,  yet  doomed  with  almost  certainty  to  an 
immediate  and  awful  death,  still  hoping  with  every 
effort  for  his  deliverance,  caused  an  intensity  of  ex- 
citement, I  pray  God,  never  again  to  experience.'* 
—  Buffalo  Commercial  Advertiser,  October  2,  1848. 

''  It  has  been  satisfactorily  ascertained  that  the  un- 
fortunate man  who  met  so  sudden  and  awful  a  fate 
at  the  falls,  on  Sunday  afternoon,  was  Richard  Lee- 
dom,  of  this  city.  We  understand  that  he  owned  a 
boat  on  the  river,  answering  the  description  of  the 
9 


76 

one  which  went  over  the  falls,  which  he  frequently 
used  in  fishing  and  sailing.  He  has  not  been  seen  or 
heard  from  since  Saturday,  on  which  day  he  borrowed 
a  rifle,  and  said  he  was  going  down  the  river  hunting  ; 
and  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  it  was  he 
who  was  seen  to  go  over  the  falls.  He  was  a  shoe- 
maker by  trade,  about  thirty-five  years  of  age,  without 
a  family."  — /6?(^.  October  4,  1848. 

122.  ''You  CAN  TRUST  HIM."  —  Nicholas  Biddle, 
Esq.,  late  president  of  the  Bank  of  the  United  States, 
once  dismissed  a  clerk,  because  the  latter  refused  to 
write  for  him  on  the  Sabbath.  The  young  man,  with 
a  mother  dependent  on  his  exertions,  was  thus  thrown 
out  of  employment  by  what  some  would  call  an  over- 
nice  scruple  of  conscience.  But,  a  few  days  after, 
Mr.  Biddle  being  requested  to  nominate  a  cashier  for 
another  bank,  recommended  this  very  individual,  and 
mentioned  this  incident  as  proof  of  his  trustworthi- 
ness. "  You  can  trust  him^''^  said  he,  ^^for  he  ivouldn't 
work  for  me  on  Sunday.'^ 

123.  Charles  Turner.  —  "  On  Sunday  afternoon, 
a  party  of  five  persons,  among  whom  was  Charles 
Turner,  of  South  Boston,  were  on  the  water  in  a 
new  boat,  for  the  purpose  of  trying  her  speed.  When 
near  Dorchester  line,  the  main-boom  '  gibed,'  striking 
Mr.  Turner  and  knocking  him  overboard.  He  sank 
immediately,  and  his  body  had  not  been  recovered 
up  to  Monday  morning.  He  was  twenty-two  years 
of  age,  and  by  trade  a  painter." — A  Boston  paper ^ 
1848. 

124.  "I    WOULD    LET    HER    LIE    THERE." "There 

are  a  class  of  people  that  find  a  vast  amount  of 
*  works  of  necessity '  upon  the  Sabbath ;  and  it  is 
common  for  such  in  hay  season  to  have  more  or  less 
to  do  with  their  hay  upon  that  day.     A  colored  man, 


77 

who  lived  with  a  farmer  of  this  character,  saw,  or 
thought  he  saw,  a  determination,  on  the  part  of  his 
employer,  to  follow  up  his  labor  upon  this  day  of 
sacred  rest.  Sabbath  morning,  however,  he  was  not 
up  as  usual  at  breakfast.  The  farmer's  son  called 
him,  but  he  said  they  need  not  wait  for  him,  as  he 
did  not  wish  for  any  breakfast.  'Why,  Caesar,'  said 
he,  '  we  shall  want  you,  as  soon  as  the  dew  is  off,  to 
help  about  the  hay.'  'No,'  said  he,  'I  can't  work 
any  more  on  the  Sabbath;  it  is  not  right.'  'Not 
right ! '  said  the  young  man ;  '  is  it  not  duty  to 
take  care  of  what  Providence  has  given  us  ? '  '  O, 
there  is  no  necessity  for  it,'  said  he,  '  and  'tis  wrong  to 
do  it.'  '  But  would  you  not  pull  your  cow,  or  sheep, 
out  of  a  pit  upon  the  Sabbath,  Cagsar  ? '  '  No,  not 
if  I  had  been  trying  all  the  week  to  shove  them 
in.  I  would  let  them  he  there.'"  —  New  England 
Puritan. 

125.  Statement  of  a  Father. — "I  have  a  son 
who  spent  some  months  in  travelling  over  the  west. 
His  trunk  was  stolen,  the  thief  arrested,  and  my  son 
compelled  to  give  a  bond  for  three  hundred  dollars, 
that  he  would  appear  at  the  opening  of  the  court  in 
Sandusky  city,  on  a  Monday^  in  a  future  month,  to 
testify  against  the  thief.  As  that  Monday  approached, 
my  son  found  himself  upon  the  shores  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan. He  took  a  boat,  which  was  expected  to  arrive 
at  Sandusky  city  on  Friday,  or  at  farthest  on  Satur- 
day. But  by  some  accident  she  was  detained,  and 
when  the  Sabbath  sun  arose,  she  was  amidst  the 
marshes  of  Lake  St.  Clair.  At  the  first  landing-place 
my  son  went  on  shore,  though  he  knew  that  by  doing 
so  he  could  not  reach  Sandusky  city  according  to  the 
bond.  He  took  the  first  boat  that  came  along  on 
Monday,  reached  his  post  Tuesday  forenoon,  and 
reached  the  court-house  as  the  district  attorney  stood 
up  to  move  the  court  that  his  bond  should  be  declared 
7* 


78 

forfeit ;  but  he  exclaimed,  '  Here  I  am,'  and  all  was 
right." 

126.  The  Elder  and  his  Neighbor. — An  elder 
in  a  Presbyterian  church  and  his  neighbor  started  to 
remove  their  families,  with  their  own  teams,  from  the 
state  of  North  Carolina  to  the  state  of  Missouri. 
The  first  week  they  travelled  till  Saturday  afternoon. 
The  elder  then  began  to  make  preparation  to  stop, 
with  his  family  and  teams,  till  after  the  Sabbath  :  his 
neighbor  remonstrated  ;  represented  the  length  and 
difficulty  of  their  journey,  and  used  the  various  argu- 
ments which  are  common  with  Sabbath-breakers,  as 
reasons  why  they  should  continue  their  journey  on  the 
Sabbath.  But  the  elder  was  not  to  be  moved.  On 
Sabbath  morning,  his  neighbor  tried  his  logic  and  his 
rhetoric  again,  but  with  no  better  success  than  before. 
He  therefore  harnessed  his  team,  and  went  off  alone, 
telling  the  elder  that  he  would  go  before,  and  get  all 
things,  at  their  new  home,  in  readiness  against  his 
arrival.  He  continued  to  travel  seven  days  in  a 
week,- and  the  elder  only  six;  and  yet  the  elder 
arrived  at  the  journey's  end  sooner  than  he  did  by 
two  days,  and  had  that  time  to  prepare  for  his  arrival. 

127.  ''  I  MUST  EARN  MY  DoLLAR  A  DaY." A  yOUUg 

man  was  married,  and  entered  into  business.  He  was 
industrious,  and  greatly  prospered.  Being  acquainted 
with  music,  and  skilful  in  the  performance  of  it,  he 
was  employed  to  take  charge  of  the  singing,  on  the 
Sabbath,  in  public  worship.  For  this  service  he 
received  about  a  dollar  a  day,  or  fifty  dollars  a  year. 
He,  of  course,  confined  his  worldly  business  to  six 
days  in  a  week,  and  attended  church  regularly  on  the 
Sabbath.  At  length,  some  of  the  people  became  dis- 
satisfied with  him  as  a  leader  of  the  music,  and  he 
was  no  longer  employed  in  that  service.  He  then 
ceased  to  attend  public  worship,  and  employed  him- 


79 


self,  on  the  Sabbath,  in  his  secular  concerns.  He 
said  he  must  earn  his  dollar  a  day ;  and  if  he  could 
not  do  it  by  attending  church,  he  would  do  it  by 
attending  to  his  business.  For  a  time,  he  earned  his 
dollar  a  day ;  sometimes,  it  may  be,  he  earned  more. 
But  his  affairs,  by  and  by,  became  embarrassed.  It 
was  evident  that  he  was  running  behindhand  :  at 
length  he  failed  in  business.  His  property  was  sold 
to  pay  his  creditors;  and  his  family  were  left  desti- 
tute. His  earning  his  dollar  a  day,  by  attending  to  his 
Avorldly  business  on  the  Sabbath,  and  his  neglect  of 
public  worship  for  that  purpose,  was  like  putting  his 
money  into  a  bag  with  holes :  it  tended  to  poverty. 

If  a  young  man  would  have  good  reason  to  believe 
that  he  shall  continue  to  prosper  in  his  worldly  busi- 
ness, and  that  his  prosperity  will  be  a  blessing  to 
him.  he  must  confine  his  attention  to  secular  concerns 
to  six  days  in  a  week,  and  must  devote  the  Sabbath 
to  the  worship  of  God,  and  the  promotion  of  the  spir- 
itual good  of  men. 

128.  "  By  strictly  observing  the  Sabbath,  Sir." — 
A  number  of  years  ago,  several  young  Scotchmen  came 
in  company  to  the  United  States,  and  landed  at  New 
York.  On  the  following  day,  which  was  the  Sab- 
bath, it  was  proposed  go  out  and  to  see  the  city  and 
its  environs.  All  assented  except  one.  He  had  been 
charged  by  his  father,  on  leaving  home,  not  to  break 
the  Sabbath.  He  would  not  disobey  him.  In  a  few 
years,  he  was  possessor  of  a  large  estate,  and  his  com- 
panions were  in  the  drunkard's  grave.  He  was  visit- 
ed by  a  Mr.  C ,  who  asked  him,  "  How  did  you 

accumulate  your  wealth?"  He  answered,  '^ By 
strictly  observing  the  Sabbath,  Sir.^^ 

129.  The  Pennsylvania  Drover.  —  This  man 
stated  that  he  had  followed  the  business  of  driving 
cattle  twenty-one  years,  and  that  his  uniform  practice 


80 

had  been,  to  let  them  rest  on  the  Sabbath.  His  lead- 
ing motive  in  doing  this  was  obedience  to  the  law 
of  God  and  of  the  state  ;  but  it  had  been  greatly  to 
his  advantage.  In  one  instance,  he  gained  (3ight  days 
of  another  drover,  that  did  not  rest  on  the  Sabbath, 
in  driving  from  the  interior  of  Indiana  to  Carlisle,  in 
Pennsylvania;  and,  ordinarily,  he  gained  two  days 
of  those  who  drove  without  stopping  on  the  Sabbath, 
and  his  cattle,  on  an  average,  were  each  worth  two 
dollars  more  in  the  market. 

130.  All  his  Children  pious.  —  Prom  the  state 
of  New  York  a  gentleman  writes,  "  About  thirty 
years  ago,  in  a  farming  district  in  a  neighboring 
county,  were  about  ten  families,  with  good  farms  and 
good  prospects.  But  they  followed  their  worldly 
business  on  the  Sabbath,  and  brought  up  their  chil- 
dren in  the  same  way.  A  few  days  ago,  an  aged 
relative,  who  has  just  visited  the  district,  and  who, 
thirty  years  ago,  bought  a  farm  there,  on  which  his 
brother  now  resides,  informed  me  that  all  those  fami- 
lies have  gone  to  destruction,  and  many  of  their 
descendants  are  vagabonds. 

"  His  brother,  a  Sabbath-keeper,  has  been  greatly 
blessed  in  his  estate  and  in  his  family,  all  his  chil- 
dren being  prosperous  and  pious." 

131.  The  Man  and  his  Horse. — A  gentleman 
from  New  York  was  travelling,  with  a  horse  and 
sulky,  through  one  of  the  New  England  states.  He 
arrived  at  a  small  village  on  Saturday  evening,  and 
put  up  for  the  night.  In  the  morning,  after  some 
little  hesitation,  he  concluded  to  proceed  on  his 
journey,  having  attempted  to  silence  his  conscience 
by  the  common  subterfuge,  that  he  could  serve  God 
on  the  way,  as  well  as  at  a  public  house.  He  stopped 
at  another  small  village,  directed  his  horse  to  be  fed, 
and  called  for  dinner.     It  was  the  hour  of  intermis- 


81 

sion  of  public  worship,  and  a  number  of  the  worship- 
pers were  assembled  at  the  tavern  where  he  stopped, 
awaiting  the  hour  of  afternoon  service.  While  din- 
ner was  preparing,  he  retired  into  a  back  room,  and 
took  up  a  magazine  which  lay  on  the  table.  The 
first  article  that  met  his  eye  was  a  brief  account  of 
the  life  and  death  of  his  own  mother^  who  had  been 
dead  for  a  considerable  time,  which  he  had  never 
before  seen.  He  was  deeply  affected  at  the  reading 
of  it, — so  much  so,  that  he  felt  it  necessary  to  excuse 
himself  to  the  landlady,  who  had  witnessed  his 
emotions, — and  he  then  stated  the  fact,  that  the  sub- 
ject of  the  memoir  which  he  had  been  reading  was 
his  mother,  and  that  the  reading  of  it  awakened  feel- 
ings which  he  could  not  repress.  The  landlady, 
who  was  a  pious  woman,  heard  his  statement  with 
apparent  astonishment ;  and,  after  a  moment's  pause, 
said,  "  Is  it  possible  that  the  son  of  so  godly  a  mother 
can  be  guilty  of  travelling  on  the  Sabbath?"  The 
gentleman  was  confounded,  and  attempted  to  excuse 
himself;  but  his  stammering  tongue  refused  to  do  its 
office.  The  rebuke,  the  approaching  hour  of  wor- 
ship, and  conscience,  admonished  him  to  stop ;  but, 
after  a  struggle,  he  determined  to  go  on,  and,  if  pos- 
sible, to  reach  the  place  of  his  destination  by  the 
hour  for  tea.  Just  before  he  reached  it,  the  heavens' 
gathered  blackness,  the  lightning's  vivid  flash,  and 
the  thunders  soon  proclaimed  that  a  tempest  was  at 
hand.  He  put  his  horse  to  his  utmost  speed,  and 
reached  the  tavern  just  as  the  rain  descended  in 
torrents.  Giving  the  lines  to  the  hostler,  he  sprang 
from  his  sulky,  directed  his  horse  to  be  put  in  a  cool 
place  by  himself,  and  went  into  the  house.  The  land- 
lord, who  was  acquainted  with  him,  met  him  in  the 
hall,  atid  told  him  that  tea  was  ready,  and  proposed 
to  show  him  to  the  table.  The  thought  then  struck 
him,  first,  to  go  to  the  stable  and  see  that  his  horse 
was  properly  taken  care  of;  and,  taking  his  umbrella, 


82 

and  passing  into  the  stable,  he  observed  that  the  host- 
ler had  obeyed  his  directions,  and,  instead  of  stopping 
to  lay  his  hand  on  his  horse,  as  he  usually  did,  (for  he 
was  a  favorite  animal,)  he  passed  through  the  barn  to 
enter  the  house  through  the  back  door.  On  leaving 
the  barn  door,  his  limbs  failed,  —  from  what  cause  he 
knew  not,  — and  he  settled  down  for  a  moment,  almost 
in  a  state  of  unconsciousness ;  but,  recovering  himself, 
he  went  into  the  house.  There  was  some  confusion 
among  the  inmates,  from  a  conviction,  as  it  appeared, 
that  the  lightning  had  struck  either  the  house  or 
some  object  near  it.  In  a  moment,  an  individual 
appeared,  and  said,  "  Your  fine  horses  are  killed  by 
the  lightning."  A  stranger  ran  to  the  stable,  and  in 
a  moment  returned,  saying,  "  It  it  is  not  my  horses 
that  are  killed,  but  the  gentleman's  from  New  York. 
The  hostler  had  taken  my  horses  from  their  stall,  and 
put  his  in  their  place  to  cool."  The  gentleman  im- 
mediately left  the  table,  and  went  to  the  stable,  and 
found  it  even  so.  His  beautiful  horse  had  probably 
been  killed  by  the  same  stroke  that  brought  him  to 
the  ground,  as  he  left  the  stable  door  —  a  stroke 
which,  if  he  had  lingered  for  a  moment,  had  prob- 
ably sent  him  into  eternity.  He  felt  that  the  hand 
of  God  was  in  it ;  and  that  it  was  his  mercy  alone 
that  had  spared  him,  while  in  his  Providence  he  had 
taken  property  enough  to  teach  him  that  it  is  not 
profitable  to  break  the  command,  "  Remember  the 
Sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy."  He  resolved,  from 
that  hour,  never  to  yield  to  temptation,  however 
strong,  to  travel  on  tlie  Sabbath;  and  he  told  the 
writer  of  this,  after  more  than  thirty  years,  that  he 
had,  by  the  grace  of  God,  kept  his  resolution.  He 
did  not  feel  that  he  had  been  a  loser ;  nor  will  other 
men,  it  is  believed,  who  fairly  make  the  experiment,  be 
likely  to  feel,  in  life  or  in  death,  that  they  had,  on 
the  whole,  been  losers  by  obeying  the  command- 
ment of  the  Lord. 


83 

132.  "  If  Sinners  entice  thee,  consent  thou 
NOT."  —  A  mimber  of  young  persons,  on  the  Sabbath, 
went  down  to  the  river  for  the  purpose  of  going  out 
on  the  water.  One  of  the  young  ladies  said,  "  I  think 
we  shall  do  wrong  ;  my  conscience  condemns  me :  I 
must  return."  "  There  can  be  no  harm,"  said  a 
gentleman,  ''in  taking  an  excursion  on  the  water, 
especially  as  we  are  resolved  to  go  to  church  in  the 
evening."  "  I  must  return,"  said  the  other.  ''  What 
will  my  father  say,  if  he  hears  of  it?"  But  being 
surrounded  by  all  the  gentlemen  of  the  party,  she 
yielded,  and  the  boat  pushed  off.  They  had  not  gone 
far,  when  one  of  the  gentlemen  fell  overboard.  All 
rushed  to  that  side  of  the  boat,  which  upset  it,  and 
all  were  plunged  into  the  water.  Boats  from  the 
shore  were  immediately  put  off  for  their  relief.  They 
picked  up  all  they  could  find,  and  brought  them  back. 
But  tAVo  were  missing.  ''  Where  is  my  sister  ?  "  said 
the  one  who  a  few  minutes  before  said,  "There  can 
be  no  harm  in  taking  an  excursion  on  the  water, 
especially  as  we  have  resolved  to  go  to  church  in  the 
evening."  "Where  is  my  Charles?"  said  another. 
At  length,  the  boats  that  had  gone  farther  up  the 
river,  as  the  tide  was  rising,  were  seen  returning. 
"  Have  you  found  any  ? "  cried  one.  The  answer  was, 
"  Yes,  two."  "  Here  is  a  gentleman,"  said  one. 
"  But  I  believe  he  is  dead."  "  Where  is  the  lady  ?  " 
said  another.  It  was  replied,  "  She  is  in  the  other 
boat."  "  Is  she  dead  ?  "  "I  fear  she  is."  And,  sad 
to  relate,  such  was  found  to  be  the  fact.  Their  bodies 
were  conveyed  to  a  neighboring  house.  The  gentle- 
man was  resuscitated ;  but  the  lady  was  dead.  It 
was  the  same  that  said,  "My  conscience  condemns 
me  ;  I  must  go  back."  Her  brother,  who  had  said, 
"  There  can  be  no  harm  in  taking  an  excursion  on  the 
water,"  now  said,  "O  my  sister!  my  sister!  Would 
to  God  I  had  died  for  thee  !  I  forced  her  to  go  against 
the  dictates  of  conscience.     I  am  her  murderer.     I 


84 

ought  to  have  perished,  and  not  my  sister.  Who  will 
bear  the  tidings  to  our  father  ?  How  can  I  ever  appear 
again  in  his  presence  ?  I  enticed  the  best  of  children 
to  an  act  of  disobedience,  which  has  destroyed  her. 
— ^^  1/ si?iners  entice  thee,  consent  thou  not.^^ 

133.  ''Don't  leave  Port  on  the  Sabbath."  — 
An  agent  of  the  New  York  City  Tract  Society  having 
left  some  tracts  on  board  a  Boston  packet,  the  captain 
and  others  read  them ;  and  the  consequence  was,  they 
felt  their  minds  perplexed  upon  a  subject  that  prob- 
ably had  never  before  caused  them  any  uneasiness. 
A  few  weeks  ago,  on  a  Sabbath  day,  the  captain  saw 
a  tract  visitor  on  the  dock,  and,  going  to  him,  said, 
"  I  wish  to  ask  your  opinion :  do  you  think  it  right 
to  sail  out  of  port  on  the  Sabbath  ? "  The  visitor 
replied,  ''  I  suppose  you  expect  what  my  answer  will 
be.  I  say  at  once,  No,  it  is  not  right ;  and  I  know 
that  God  will  bless  the  captain  that  honors  his  holy 
day."  "  Well,  what  am  I  to  do  ?  "  said  the  captain; 
''  the  pilot  is  on  board,  and  so  are  all  the  hands,  and 
we  are  hauled  out  to  the  end  of  the  dock."  "  Don't 
care  for  that,  captain.  Take  my  advice,  and  do  right : 
don't  sail  to-day."  This  conversation  took  place  as 
they  were  going  to  the  packet,  and  part  of  it  was 
overheard  by  the  mate  and  the  pilot.  The  mate 
approved  of  the  visitor's  advice,  but  the  pilot  walked 
about  the  deck,  muttering  his  discontent.  The  cap- 
tain went  below  in  an  unsettled  state  of  mind ;  and, 
after  he  had  been  there  a  short  time,  the  visitor  went 
to  him,  reasoned  with  him,  gave  him  several  tracts, 
and  advised  him  to  go  when  he  could  do  it  with  a 
clear  conscience.  The  captain's  reply  was,  "  You  are 
right,  and  I  will  not  go  to-day."  Orders  to  that  eftect 
were  immediately  given,  the  pilot  was  sent  home  until 
Monday  morning,  and  the  men  were  all  recommended 
to  go  to  church. 

A  few  days  ago,  the  visitor  was  met  by  a  sailor. 


85 

who  said  to  him,  "  Well,  friend,  sure  enough,  we  had 
a  good  trip  to  Boston,  as  you  said  we  would."  The 
writer  did  not  recollect  ever  having  seen  him  before, 
but  the  sailor  told  him  that  he  was  on  board  the 
packet,  and  heard  much  of  what  was  said,  and  added, 
^'  We  had  a  fair  wind  all  the  Avay,  and  talked  about  it 
nearly  all  the  time." 

Captains,  if  you  would  have  good  voyages,  sail 
under  the  protection  of  Him  who  controls  the  winds 
and  the  waves.  And  if  you  would  have  good  crews, 
do  not  require  your  men  to  sin  against  God,  but  set 
them  a  good  example,  and  endeavor  to  make  them 
good  men.  Neither  durable  riches,  nor  the  good  will 
of  those  you  command,  can  be  secured  by  practical 
infidelity  ;  for  the  Lord  saith,  "  Them  that  honor  me 
I  will  honor,  and  they  that  despise  me  shall  be  lightly 
esteemed." 

134.  The  last  Sabbath  in  Port.  —  The  "At- 
lantic "  steamer  left  New  York  on  Saturday  after- 
noon, expecting,  by  taking  about  one  hour  of  the 
Sabbath,  to  arrive  with  the  passengers  at  Allen's  Point  j 
and  the  passengers  hoped,  by  taking,  for  travelling 
on  the  railroad,  five  or  six  hours  more,  to  arrive 
in  Boston  on  Sabbath  morning.  But  the  steamer 
broke  her  machinery,  and  was  obliged  on  Saturday 
night  to  put  back  again  to  New  York.  On  Sabbath 
morning,  through  the  kindness  of  the  Lord,  all  were 
safe  in  port.  The  steamer  was  drawn  upon  the  dry 
dock,  and  mechanics  employed  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  day  in  repairing  her  machinery.  On  Sabbath 
afternoon,  she  again  left  New  York,  and  proceeded  up 
Long  Island  Sound  to  Allen's  Point ;  but  in  the  course 
of  the  ensuing  week,  she  encountered  a  violent  storm, 
and  after  numerous  perils  and  the  loss  of  many  lives, 
she  lay  a  dismal  wreck  upon  the  rocks,  tolling  her 
death  knell  by  the  winds  of  heaven. 

On  Sabbath  morning,  a  vessel  left  Boston  haibor, 

No.  5.  8 


86 

having  on  board  thirteen  thousand  nine  hundred 
bushels  of  corn,  and  one  thousand  barrels  of  corn 
meal.  She  went  on  shore  on  Truro  beach,  was  a  total 
loss,  and  all  hands  on  board  perished. 

Had  the  officers  of  the  above  mentioned  vessels 
known  that  those  were  to  be  the  last  Sabbaths  that 
they  were  ever  to  spend  in  port,  would  they  have 
spent  any  portion  of  them  in  repairing  machinery,  or 
on  that  holy  day  have  left  the  harbor  ?  As  men  can 
never  know,  on  any  Sabbath  morning,  but  that  it  may 
be  their  last  on  earth,  Avisdom  and  duty  both  urge 
them  to  spend  it  and  all  their  passing  days  in  learning 
and  in  doing  the  will  of  God ;  that  when  their  last 
Sabbath  on  earth  shall  come,  then  the  next  Sabbath 
they  may  be  in  heaven.  Blessed,  unspeakably  and 
forever  blessed,  shall  be  all  those,  who,  when  their 
Lord  cometh,  shall  be  found  doing  his  will.  They 
shall  have  right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  enter  in  through 
the  gates  in  the  city;  where  they  shall  hunger  no 
more,  neither  thirst  any  more,  but  the  Lamb  himself 
shall  lead  them  to  fountains  of  living  water,  and  wipe 
away  forever  all  tears  from  their  eyes. 


APPENDIX. 

EXTRACTS   FROM   REPORTS 

OF  THE 

American  axib  loxti^n  SabbatI)  Hnion, 


FIRST   REPORT 


Facts  show  that  there  is  a  growing  conviction,  founded 
upon  experience  and  observation,  that  property  and  life 
are  more  safe  under  the  care  of  those  who  keep  the  Sab- 
bath, than  under  the  care  of  those  who  violate  it ;  and 
that  the  one  class  are  more  likely  to  be  blessed  and  to  be 
a  blessing,  even  in  this  world,  than  the  other.  Though 
the  violation  of  the  Sabbath  may,  in  some  cases,  seem  to 
prevent  present  loss,  or  to  result  in  present  gain,  yet  it 
does  not  end  well.  The  observance  of  that  day  is  found, 
on  the  whole,  to  be  most  profitable.  As  principles  and 
facts  become  known,  all  see  new  evidence  that  "  the  Sab- 
bath was  made  for  man,"  and  that  in  the  keeping  of  it, 
according  to  the  will  of  God,  there  is  great  reward.  It 
is  profitable  unto  all  things, — with  regard  to  this  life,  as 
well  as  that  which  is  to  come.  It  is  adapted  to  the  nature 
of  men,  suited  to  their  capacities,  and  essential  to  the 
supply  of  their  wants.  And  no  portion  of  the  human 
family  to  whom  the  will  of  God  is  made  known,  with  re- 
gard to  the  Sabbath,  can  fail  to  observe  it  without  injur- 
ing themselves,  and  exerting  an  influence  which  is  cal- 
culated to  injure  their  fellow  men.  Nor  can  they  fail  to 
observe  it  without  dishonoring  their  Maker,  and  lessening 
the  influence  of  his  moral  government  over  the  hearts  and 
lives  of  men. 


With  a  view  to  render  universal  a  conviction  of  these 
truths,  the  Secretary  of  this  Union  has  published  the  first 
number  of  a  work  entitled,  "  Permanent  Sabbath  Docu- 
ments." The  object  of  this  work  is,  to  exhibit  the  ends 
for  which  the  Sabbath  icas  appointed^  and  the  reasons  why 
it  should  he  kept ;  the  benefits  that  will  result  to  men,  if 
they  observe  it,  and  the  evils,  which,  by  laios  that  no  one 
can  annul  or  evade,  must  come  upon  them  if  they  do  not. 
The  Sabbath,  with  its  attendant  means  of  grace,  is  the 
Great  Institution  of  Jehovah,  for  communicating,  preserv- 
ing, and  rendering  practically  efficacious  the  knowledge 
of  himself,  as  the  Creator,  Preserver,  Redeemer,  Bene- 
factor, Owner,  Governor,  and  Judge  of  men.  It  is  the 
Institution  which  he  appointed,  and  which  he  blesses  for 
that  purpose.  And  so  efficacious  is  it  for  that  end,  that 
no  people  who  have  continued  to  observe  it,  according  to 
his  will,  have  ever  lost  the  knowledge  of  the  one  only 
living  and  true  God,  or  cease  publicly  to  serve  and  adore 
him.  And  had  all  people  continued  from  the  beginning 
to  observe  it,  they  had  in  all  ages  been  worshipers  of 
Jehovah,  and  idolatry  would  never  have  been  practiced 
upon  the  earth.  They  would  also  have  experienced  nu- 
merous temporal  benefits,  to  the  body  and  the  soul,  and 
would  have  found  it,  in  all  its  influences,  to  be  promotive 
of  their  highest  good. 

In  the  work  above  mentioned,  these  principles  are 
illustrated  by  numerous  facts.  These  facts  show  that  the 
Sabbath  is  not  a  positive  or  moral  institution  merely,  but 
is  based  upon  a  natural  laio ;  and  that  obedience  to  it  is 
essential  to  the  physical,  as  really  as  to  the  moral  and  re- 
ligious well-being  of  mankind  ;  that  those  who  obey  it  are, 
as  a  body,  more  healthy,  perform  more  labor,  and  live 
longer,  than  those  who  do  not.  They  are  also  more 
moral,  and  better  fitted  for  all  the  duties  of  life. 

The  same  law  of  nature  is  shown  also  to  apply  to  beasts 


of  burden.  Those  which  are  employed  to  the  extent  of 
their  capacity  six  days  only  in  a  week,  and  are  permitted 
to  rest  one,  are  more  healthy  and  long-lived  than  those 
which  are  thus  employed  during  the  whole  seven.  They 
can  also  do  more  work.  Numerous  facts  are  given  which 
are  illustrative  of  these  truths  ;  and  which  show  the  rea- 
sons why  the  Divine  Being,  in  the  command  in  which  he 
forbids  men  to  work  on  the  Sabbath,  extends  his  benevo- 
lent regard  to  the  brute  creation.  They  were  made  for 
six  days'  labor  in  a  week,  but  not  for  seven.  And  they 
cannot  endure  it,  without  lessening  their  health,  and 
shortening  their  lives. 

Attention  is  invited  especially  to  the  object  for  which 
the  Sabbath  was  appointed,  and  to  the  reasons  why  all 
men  should  observe  it ;  to  the  facts,  that  only  six  days  in 
a  week  have  been  made  or  given  to  men  for  secular  busi- 
ness, and  that  they  have  no  moral  right  to  take  more ; 
and  that  if  they  do  take  more,  it  is  without  right,  in  oppo- 
sition to  express  Statute,  written  by  the  finger  of  God  on 
tables  of  stone  ;  and  in  violation  of  a  Law  which  he  has 
interwoven  throughout  the  nature  of  man  and  beast ;  that 
the  Sabbath  for  secular  business  belongs  to  no  man,  and 
that  it  is  not  honest  for  a  man  to  take  what  is  not  his. 

Attention  is  invited  also  to  the  extensive  medical  testi- 
mony contained  in  the  above  mentioned  work,  and  to  the 
providential  developments  which  show  that  testimony  to 
be  in  accordance  with  truth;  and  also  to  the  effects  pro- 
duced by  the  desecration  of  the  Sabbath  upon  the  morals 
and  general  welfare  of  the  community. 

And  as  the  Sabbath  is  an  Institution  of  Divine  appoint- 
ment, the  observance  of  which  is  shown,  not  only  by 
Scripture,  but  by  facts,  to  be  essential  to  the  highest  so- 
cial, civil,  and  religious  interests  of  men;  as  it  tends  to 
promote  the  intellectual  elevation,  the  moral  purity,  the 
social  happiness,  and  the  eternal  good  of  all  who  observe 
1* 


it ;  and  as  men  cannot  violate  it  without  dishonoring  God, 
and  injuring  themselves  and  their  fellow-men,  we  would 
most  respectfully  and  earnestly  entreat  all  friends  of  the 
Sabbath  to  give  to  its  observance  the  influence  of  a  con- 
scientious and  consistent  example.  And  we  would  invite 
them  to  endeavor,  by  disseminating  universal  informa- 
tion, and  by  other  kind,  moral  influences,  to  persuade  all 
men  to  pursue  a  course  so  divinely  adapted  to  promote 
the  glory  of  God,  and  the  welfare  of  the  human  race. 


SECOND   REPORT 


Within  the  last  three  years  there  have  been  in  the 
United  States  fifteen  General  Sabbath  Conventions. 
Seven  of  them  vi^ere  State  Conventions,  and  were  attended 
by  from  one  to  five  hundred  delegates.  One  of  them  was 
a  National  Convention,  which  assembled  at  Baltimore  on 
the  27th  of  November,  1844.  The  number  of  Delegates 
was  upwards  of  seventeen  hundred,  and  from  eleven  dif- 
ferent States.  John  Quincy  Adams,  late  President  of  the 
United  States,  presided ;  and  Harmer  Denny,  late  mem- 
ber of  Congress  from  Pennsylvania,  Charles  W.  Ridgely 
of  Maryland,  Charles  N.  Davis  of  Washington,  D.  C, 
and  Timothy  Stillman  of  New  York,  were  Secretaries. 

Mr.  Adams,  on  taking  the  Chair,  after  returning  thanks 
to  the  Convention  for  the  unexpected  honor  which  they 
had  conferred  on  him,  said,  **  I  always  felt  myself  under 
obligation  to  observe  that  law  which  was  given  by  God 
himself  from  Mount  Sinai,  in  those  solemn  words,  *  Re- 
member the  Sabbath  Day  to  keep  it  holy  ; '  a  command 
which  was  subsequently  renewed  and  re-enforced  by  the 
injunctions  of  the  Saviour  of  mankind. 

"  The  importance  of  a  right  observance  of  the  Sabbath, 
cannot  be  controverted.  So  far  as  my  experience  has 
gone,  it  would  seem  to  me,  that  this  is  the  point  toward 
which  there  will  be  a  propriety  in  this  Convention's 
directing  its  efforts.  So  far  as  propagating  opinions  in 
favor  of  the  sacred  observance  of  the  day,  I  feel  it  to  be 


8 

my  duty  to  give  all  the  faculties  of  my  soul   to  that  sub- 
ject." 

On  leaving  the  chair,  he  expressed  his  gratification  at 
what  the  Convention  had  done,  and  said,  "  If  it  is  true, 
that  there  exists  a  solid  foundation  for  the  remark  which 
has  been  alluded  to,  of  the  late  lamented  Duponceau,  that 
the  American  nation  is  distinguished  above  all  other  na- 
tions of  the  earth  for  its  profound  reverence  for,  and  gen- 
eral observance  of  the  Sabbath,  I  hope  that  the  result  of 
the  present  Convention  will  greatly  increase  such  evidence 
of  its  true  glory." 

The  remark  which  Mr.  Adams  referred  to  had  just  been 
read  in  an  Address  which  had  been  adopted,  to  the  Peo- 
ple of  the  United  States.  That  Address  closed  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner,  viz : — 

"  It  was  the  remark  of  one  of  the  ablest  and  purest  of 
those  foreigners  who  came  to  our  aid  in  days  of  revolu- 
tionary peril,  and  who  made  his  home,  and  recently  his 
grave  among  us,  the  late  venerable  Duponceau  of  Phila- 
delphia, that  of  all  we  claimed  as  characteristic,  our  ob- 
servance of  the  Sabbath  is  the  only  one,  truly  national 
and  American  ;  and  for  this  cause,  if  for  no  other,  he 
trusted  it  would  never  lose  its  hold  on  our  affections  and 
patriotism.  It  was  a  noble  thought,  and  may  well  mingle 
with  higher  and  nobler  motives  to  stimulate  our  efforts  and 
encourage  our  hopes.  And  while  it  is  the  glory  so  eager- 
ly coveted  by  other  nations  that  they  may  be  pre-eminent 
in  conquests  and  extended  rule,  let  us  gladly  accept  it,  as 
our  distinction,  and  wear  it  as  the  fairest  of  all  that  grace 
our  escutcheon,  that  we  pre-eminently  honor  the  Sabbath 
and  the  Sabbath's  Lord." 

The  occasion  on  which  Duponceau  uttered  the  above, 
and  the  effect  of  it  on  those  who  heard,  are  worthy  of 
record. 

A  project  had  been  started,  in  the  city  where  he  lived, 


for  the  opening,  on  the  Sabbath,  of  a  certain  Reading 
Establishment.  Some  were  in  favor  of  it,  and  others  were 
opposed  to  it.  A  meeting  was  called  ;  those  concerned  as- 
sembled and  discussed  the  subject.  After  others  had  ex- 
pressed their  opinions,  some  on  one  side  and  some  on  the 
other,  Duponceau  arose  and  uttered  the  sentiment  re- 
ferred to.  The  effect  was  electrical,  and  the  conclusion 
was,  that  the  Establishment  should  not  be  opened  on  the 
Sabbath. 

May  the  same  noble  patriotic  sentiment  echo  from  heart 
to  heart,  and  from  city  to  city,  till  not  a  secular  Reading 
Room  shall  be  opened,  or  any  secular  business  or  amuse- 
ment be  pursued,  on  the  Sabbath,  in  any  part  of  our 
country.  Then  will  the  wi^h  of  the  venerable  President 
of  the  National  Convention,  in  the  evidence  of  the  in- 
creasing observance  of  the  Sabbath,  *'  the  true  glory  of 
the  nation,"  be  accomplished. 

While,  as  a  nation,  we  keep  the  Sabbath  holy,  the  God 
of  the  Sabbath  will  be  a  wall  of  fire  round  about  us,  and  a 
glory  in  the  midst  of  us.  Our  bulwark  will  be  salvation, 
and  our  defence  will  be  praise. 

The  more  the  claims  of  the  Sabbath  are  examined  in 
the  light  of  principles  and  facts  which  are  developed  in 
the  word  and  by  the  providence  of  God,  the  more  gener- 
ally will  not  only  devout  Christians,  but  wise  philanthro- 
pists, consistent  patriots,  and  men  of  business  give  to  its 
observance  the  influence  of  their  habitual  example.  It 
is  the  friend  and  the  helper  of  man,  in  all  departments 
of  business,  and  in  all  the  lawful  and  proper  concerns  of 
life. 

Especially  is  it  the  friend  of  the  laborer  and  of  the 
masses  of  the  people.  Go  where  you  will,  if  you  find 
them  destitute  of  the  Sabbath,  or  devoting  it  to  purposes 
of  worldly  business  or  amusement,  you  find  them  in  com- 
parative ignorance,  vice   and  degradation.     On  the  other 


•^[b 


to 

hand,  however  hard  their  lot,  and  unfavorable  in  other  re- 
spects, their  condition,  if  they  have  the  rest  and  the  priv- 
ileges of  the  Sabbath,  and  keep  it  in  accordance  with  the 
will  of  its  Author,  you  find  them  comparatively  intelligent, 
virtuous,  useful,  and  happy.  The  advocates  of  the  Sab- 
bath, therefore,  and  those  who  give  to  its  due  observance 
the  influence  of  a  consistent  example,  are  emphatically 
the  friends  of  the  people. 

Should  all  the  secular  business  of  the  country,  in  the 
government  and  out  of  it,  be  confined  to  the  only  time 
given  to  men,  or  which  they  have  a  right  to  employ  for 
that  purpose,  there  is  no  good  reason  to  doubt  but  that  all 
the  great  interests  of  the  country  would  thereby  be  pro- 
moted. 

As  long  as  individuals  and  nations  shall  be  dependent 
upon  Jehovah,  and  he  be,  what  he  ever  has  been,  "  a  God 
that  judgeth  in  the  earth,"  their  interests,  as  well  as  their 
duty,  will  require  that  they  should  obey  him.  And  the 
interests  of  a  nation  no  more  require  that  its  agents 
should  take  seven  days  in  a  week  for  secular  business, 
than  the  interests  of  individuals.  And  he  who  has  for- 
bidden it,  can  as  easily  bring  down  the  one,  as  he  can 
the  other.  Though  bodies  of  men,  especially  when  high 
in  office,  will  sometimes  pursue  courses,  from  which  they 
would  shrink  back  as  individuals,  yet  for  their  public  and 
official,  as  really  as  for  their  private  conduct,  they  are 
accountable,  and  will  be  held  responsible  at  the  divine 
tribunal. 

It  is  the  doing  of  the  vnll  of  God  that  exalts  a  nation 
and  promotes  its  true  glory ;  while  the  violating  of  that 
will,  is  a  reproach,  and  will,  to  a  nation  as  well  as  to  in- 
dividuals, in  the  end  be  a  curse.  This  is  peculiarly  the 
case  with  regard  to  the  Christian  Sabbath. 


THIRD    REPORT. 


Facts  show  that  the  Sabbath  is  not  an  arbitrary  ap- 
pointment, a  political  regulation,  or  a  positive  institution 
merely,  but  has  its  foundation  in  the  nature  of  things  ; 
and  that  the  command  of  Jehovah  to  remember  and  keep 
it  holy,  expresses  an  obligation  which  grows  out  of  the 
nature  of  man,  his  relations  to  his  Maker  and  his  fellow 
men  ;  which  was  binding  before  the  command  was  writ- 
ten on  the  table  of  stone,  and  which  will  continue  to  be 
binding  upon  all  who  shall  know  it,  to  the  end  of  time. 

For  this  reason  the  command  was  placed,  by  the  Law- 
giver, in  the  Moral  Code  ;  and  is  apart  of  that  law,  which 
is  not  made  void,  but  is  established  by  the  gospel.  These 
facts  and  the  principles  which  they  illustrate  have  been 
embodied  in  the  two  previous  Sabbath  Documents.  The 
first  exhibits  the  ends  for  which  the  Sabbath  was  appoint- 
ed and  the  reasons  why  all  men  should  observe  it.  The 
second  shows  that  it  was  designed  to  be  a  permanent 
institution ;  and  that  it  is  the  will  of  God  that  the  Lord's 
day  should  be  kept  holy,  to  the  end  of  the  world. 

The  good  that  might  be  expected  to  result  from  the 
universal  circulation  of  these  Documents  and  a  dissemina- 
tion of  a  knowledge  of  the  principles  and  facts  which  they 
contain,  producing  in  the  minds  of  the  young  an  intelli- 
gent conviction  of  the  duty  and  utility  of  remembering 
the  Sabbath  day  and  keeping  it  holy,  would  be  unspeaka- 
bly great. 


12 

The  influence  on  the  formation  of  their  character,  on 
their  success  in  the  world,  on  their  usefulness  among  men, 
and  on  their  preparation  for  heaven,  would  be  all-pervad- 
ing and  powerful;  while  the  happiness  of  individuals  and 
families,  the  peace  of  neighborhoods  and  of  society,  the 
purity  and  permanancy  of  free  institutions,  the  efficacy  of 
the  gospel  and  the  progress  of  true  religion  in  the  world, 
would  thus  be  greatly  promoted.  In  few,  if  any  ways,  it 
is  believed,  could  property  be  employed  to  greater  advan- 
tage, or  with  a  fairer  prospect  of  lasting  good  to  man- 
kind. 

The  following  communications  express  the  views  of  a 
number  of  distinguished  men,  with  regard  to  the  value  of 
the  Documents  and  the  importance  of  their  universal  cir- 
lation. 

From  Professor  Gretnkaf,  of  the  Law  School  in  Harvard  University, 

"  I  have  read,  with  deep  interest,  the  Permanent  Sabbath 
Document.  The  desecration  of  the  Lord's  Day  in  our  land 
has  indeed  become  very  great,  and  tends  to  a  general  disregard 
of  all  the  other  commands  in  the  decalogue,  and  ultimately  of 
God  himself,  and  of  course  to  a  general  dissolution  of  morals. 
Any  judicious  efforts  to  stay  the  progress  of  this  evil  must  be 
productive  of  good  ;  and  to  this  end  the  Tract  alluded  to  will 
be  eminently  conducive.  It  ought  to  be  in  the  hands  of  every 
head  of  a  family,  and  every  man  of  business  in  the  country. 
I  hope  that  the  proposed  series  will  be  continued,  embracing 
the  proofs  of  the  religious  obligation  and  duty  of  keeping  the 
Sabbath  holy  to  the  Lord,  as  well  as  the  advantages  of  resting 
from  labor  on  that  day ;  at  the  same  time  exposing  the  weak- 
ness of  the  reasons  by  which  men  justify  or  excuse  the  con- 
trary practice." 

From  Professor  Goodrich,  of  Yale  College. 

"The  design  of  placing  the  Permanent  Sabbath  Documents 
in  every  family  of  the  United  States,  that  is  willing  to  receive 
them,  is,  in  my  view,  one  of  deep  interest  to  the  welfare  of 
our  country.  The  facts  which  are  there  presented,  and  the 
testimony  of  distinguished  men,  to  the  social,  civil,  and  re- 
ligious benefits  of  the  Sabbath,  are  calculated  to  arrest  the 
attention  of  the   most  thoughtless  minds ;   and  especially  to 


13 

exert  a  powerful  influence  on  the  young,  who  are  peculiarly 
tempted  to  disregard  this  sacred  institution." 

From  Professor  Woods,  of  Andover  Theological  Seminary. 

"  It  is  clear  to  me,  that  the  measures  you  have  adopted,  and 
particularly  the  Sabbath  Documents  you  have  published,  are 
adapted  to  make  a  deep  and  permanent  impression  on  the  pub- 
lic mind  in  favor  of  the  religious  observance  of  the  Lord's 
Day.  It  is  manifestly  of  the  highest  consequence,  that  the 
Sabbath  should  be  regarded  as  a  divine  ordinance  ;  and  that 
we  should  be  fully  persuaded  that  we  are  as  really  required,  by 
the  supreme  authority  of  God,  to  remember  it  and  keep  it  holy, 
as  we  are  to  obey  any  other  command  of  the  Decalogue.  If 
the  Sabbath  is  let  down  from  the  high  place  it  holds  in  the 
divine  law,  if  it  is  considered  as  an  ordinance  of  man,  and  if 
the  observance  of  it  is  enforced  merely  by  considerations  of 
expediency,  it  will  fail  of  controlling  the  conscience  ;  will 
leave  men  exposed  to  be  led  away  by  temptation,  and  will 
never  secure  to  them  the  benefits  of  cordial  obedience  to 
God.  On  this  and  other  essential  points,  the  Permanent  Sab- 
bath Documents  make  a  just  impression,  and  make  it  deeply, 
I  can  think  of  nothing  that  would  be  more  likely  to  exert  an 
auspicious  influence  on  the  interests  of  the  church  and  the 
community  at  large,  than  for  the  Permanent  Sabbath  Docu- 
ments to  be  put  into  every  family  in  the  United  States.  To 
accomplish  this,  is  an  object  worthy  of  the  earnest  endeavors 
of  those  who  are  friends  to  the  temporal  and  eternal  interests 
of  their  fellow  men." 

From  President  Day,  of  Yale  College. 

"  The  first  number  of  the  Permanent  Sabbath  Documents  I 
have  read  with  deep  interest.  It  gives  a  condensed  and  lumi- 
nous view  of  the  reasons  and  scriptural  authority  for  the 
universal  and  perpetual  obligation  of  the  weekly  Sabbath; 
and  the  array  of  facts  is  admirably  fitted  to  produce  conviction 
and  impression  in  widely  different  classes  of  the  community : 
to  reach  the  statesman  and  the  private  citizen  ;  the  student 
and  the  laborer  ;  merchants,  mechanics,  and  farmers ;  cap- 
italists and  operatives;  travelers  on  the  land  and  on  the  wa- 
ter. These  facts  have  a  practical  application,  not  only  to  tha 
momentous  prospects  of  the  future  world,  but  to  all  the  en- 
gagements and  diversified  interests  of  the  present  life. 
Their  bearing  upon  the  welfare  of  individuals  and  commu- 
nities can  be  understood  by  men  in  the  humblest  walks  of  life; 
while  they  show  impressively  that  their  monitory  voice  cannot 
safely  be  disregarded  by  the  most  intelligent  and  refined. 
A  2 


14 

They  teach  most  conclusively,  that  this  stated,  sacred  restf 
is  essential  to  the  preservation  of  bodily  health  and  mental 
vigor,  as  well  as  to  sound  morality  and  pure  religion.  Our 
hopes  for  perpetuating  our  free  institutions  must  depend,  in 
a  great  measure,  upon  that  moral  and  religious  training  of  our 
youth,  that  is  to  be  expected  only  from  the  instruction  and 
impressions  which  belong  to  the  consecrated  hours  of  the 
Sabbath. 

The  call  for  systematic  efforts  to  bring  upon  all  classes  the 
hallowed  influences  of  the  day,  is  the  more  imperative,  since 
the  convenience  and  expedition  of  our  public  conveyances, 
have  greatly  increased  the  temptations  to  violate  its  rest,  for 
purposes  of  amusement  and  enterprises  which  hold  out  fasci- 
nating prospects  of  gain.  At  such  a  time  we  have  reason  to 
rejoice  that  we  have  it  in  our  power  to  bring  forward  the  tes- 
timony of  so  many  distinguished  physicians  and  eminent 
statesmen  in  favor  of  a  regular  observance  of  the  Sabbath. 

The  favorable  change  in  public  opinion  which  has  already 
been  produced,  by  spreading  before  the  community  a  body 
of  statistical  information  respecting  the  observance  or  a  vio- 
lation of  the  Sabbath,  ought  to  stimulate  us  to  vigorous  and 
persevering  exertions  in  the  cause  in  which  you  have  been  so 
zealously  and  successfully  engaged.  I  hope  that  effectual 
measures  will  be  taken  to  distribute  the  Sabbath  Documents 
through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  and  that  other 
similar  collections  of  principles  and  facts  may  be  circulated 
among  all  classes,  till  we  shall  become  a  nation  fearing  God 
and  obeying  his  commands.  May  the  blessing  of  Heaven 
descend  abundantly  upon  your  self-denying  labors,  in  a  cause 
upon  which  the  social  and  political,  the  temporal  and  spiritual 
welfare  of  our  country  so  greatly  depends." 

From  President  Way  land,  of  Brown  University. 

«I  have  read  the  Sabbath  Document  with  great  interest. 
The  information  which  it  embodies  on  the  subject  of  the 
observance  of  the  Sabbath  is  of  great  importance,  and  the 
manner  in  which  it  is  conveyed  seems  to  me  incapable  of  giv- 
ing offence  to  any  reasonable  man.  I  cannot  doubt  that  its 
universal  circulation  would  greatly  advance  the  interests  of 
virtue  and  piety." 

Frmn  the  Editor  of  an  important  Periodical  Publication  in  one  of  the  Western 
States. 

"  We  have  received  No.  1,  of  the  Permanent  Sabbath  Docu- 
ments, and  have  read  it  with  unmingled  satisfaction  and  profitc 
It  is  a  pamphlet  of  sixty  pages,  and  the  only  thing  we  found 
any  cause  to  regret  was,  that  there  was  not  more  of  the  same 


15 

kind.     No  one,  we  are  persuaded,  can  read  it  without  profit. 
It  ought  to  be  in  every  family  in  the  land." 

From  President  Nott,  of  Union  College. 

"I  rejoice  to  learn  that  arrangements  have  been  made  to 
put  the  Permanent  Sabbath  Documents  into  sixty  thousand 
families.  It  is  not  possible  to  anticipate  the  good  that  may 
result  from  the  diffusion  of  the  knowledge  of  the  facts  and 
arguments  contained  therein  to  so  great  a  number  of  families. 
But  why  should  the  distribution  of  these  Documents  be  con- 
fined within  these  limits  ?  What  might  not  be  expected  if 
they  could  be  placed  in  every  family  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  land,  and  the  eye  of  the  nation,  the  whole 
nation,  be  turned  towards  the  evidence  which  exists,  and  is 
embodied  in  those  Documents,  that  the  Sabbath  was  made  for 
man — and  that  the  highest  happiness  of  individuals  and  fami- 
lies, as  well  as  nations,  will  be  best  promoted  by  the  due  ob- 
servance of  that  consecrated  day. 

All  God's  laws  are  founded  in  wisdom  and  goodness,  and  it 
is  as  much  the  interest,  as  it  is  the  duty  of  man,  to  obey  them. 
There  are  considerations  in  favor  of  the  observance  of  the 
Sabbath  embodied  in  these  Documents  that  could  not  fail  to 
impress  the  mind  of  the  patriot  and  statesman,  as  well  as  the 
Christian,  if  presented  before  them.  If  the  nation  is  to  be 
saved,  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  must  be  restored ;  and 
in  order  to  the  restoration  of  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath, 
the  understanding  of  the  public  must  be  enlightened,  and 
the  conscience  of  the  public  quickened — and  1  know  of 
no  way  in  which  this  is  so  likely,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  to 
be  effected,  as  by  a  very  general  circulation  of  these  Docu- 
ments." 

From  Pres.  Humphrey,  of  Amherst  College. 

"I  have  looked  over  the  first  number  of  the  '  Permanent 
Sabbath  Documents,'  issued  by  the  Committee,  and  consider  it 
as  eminently  calculated  to  do  good.  Its  spirit,  its  arguments, 
its  testimonials  from  the  highest  sources,  and  above  all,  its 
facts,  are  just  what  the  public  want,  and  they  must  make  an 
impression  wherever  the  pamphlet  goes.  I  have  no  hesitation 
in  saying,  that  a  copy  of  it  ought  to  be  put  into  every  family 
in  the  land." 

From  Pres.  Cogswell,  of  Gilmanton  Theological  Seminary. 

"  Your  Permanent  Sabbath  Documents,  diffused  as  they  will 
be  through  the  land,  must  be  attended  with  the  most  happy 
results.  The  Documents  should  be  furnished  for  every  human 
dwelling.  They  should  be  bound  and  placed  next  to  the  Bible 
and  the  hymn-book  of  the  family.     They  must  prove  a  grand 


16 

instrumentality  in  promoting  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath, 
which  so  strikingly  exhibits  the  Divine  wisdom  and  goodness ; 
and  which  cannot  be  too  highly  appreciated.  This  sacred  day, 
sanctioned  and  perpetuated  by  i)ivine  authority,  has  been  of 
more  utility  in  preserving  the  knowledge  and  wor^ip  of  God, 
and  thereby  in  promoting  the  happiness  of  man,  than  all  other 
institutions." 

From  Rev.  Samuel  C.  Damon,  Honolulu,  Sandu-ich  Islands. 

"  I  have  perused  with  great  pleasure,  the  Permanent  Sabbath 
Document,  No.  1.  I  trust  that  it  may  have  a  wide  circulation. 
I  should  be  glad  to  have  some  benevolent  individual  forward 
to  me  five  hundred  copies,  to  put  into  circulation  among  the 
seamen  and  the  foreign  community  in  the  Pacific,  and  in  Poly- 
nesia. 1  regard  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  of  the  first 
importance,  and  am  satisfied  that  the  manner  in  which  its  holy 
hours  are  spent  is  a  good  test  of  the  religious  spirit  of  a  com- 
munity, a  family,  or  individual." 

From  Ren.  D.  B.  Lyman,  Hilo,  Sandwich  Islands. 

"  I  have  received  the  Permanent  Sabbath  Document,  pub- 
lished by  the  Committee  of  the  American  and  Foreign  Sab- 
bath Union ;  and  perused  its  contents,  tcith  ^reot  pleasure. 
Would  it  were  carefully  studied.,  by  all  the  families  in  the 
United  States  ;  and  by  all  their  citizens  who  go  abroad.  Can- 
not some  means  be  found  of  placing  a  copy  in  the  counting 
room  and  parlor  of  every  shipowner ;  and  in  the  cabin,  steer- 
age and  forecastle  of  every  ship.  There  are  more  than  six 
hundred  ships  employed  in  the  whale  fishery  from  the  United 
States.  Each  ship,  it  is  understood,  carries  from  twenty-four 
to  forty  men.  The  average  is  not  less  than  thirty.  Hence,  the 
number  of  seamen  employed  in  this  business  from  the  United 
States  is,  at  least,  eighteen  thousand." 

Such  are  the  sentiments  expressed  by  the  above  and 
other  philanthropic  men  with  regard  to  the  First  Docu- 
ment. The  Second  Document  goes  more  fully  into  the 
considerations  which  show  that  the  Sabbath  was  designed 
to  be  permanent;  and  that  it  is  the  will  of  God  that  the 
Lord's  day  should  be  kept  holy  to  the  end  of  time.  The 
following  are  some  of  the  testimonials  concerning  this 
Document. 

Fro7n  Rev.  John  Pierce,  of  Brookline. 

"Ihave  read  with  intense  interest  the  second  number  of 
'Permanent  Sabbath  Documents.'     The  first  number  I   also 


17 

perused  with  much  satisfaction  when  it  was  first  issued.  The 
argument  appears  to  me  sound,  and  the  reasoning  conclusive. 
Should  these  views  be  generally  embraced  and  the  Sabbath 
be  kept  accordingly,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  would  di- 
minish, if  not  reform  those  abuses,  especially  in  our  cities,  so 
heart-rending  to  the  friends  of  religion,  decency,  and  order, 
in  their  vicinity.  I  allude  to  visits  at  places  of  public  resort, 
by  so  many  young  men,  for  Bacchanalian  festivities,  and  other 
immoralities ;  to  their  furious  races  through  the  streets  of  the 
city  and  neighborhood,  reckless  of  consequences ;  endanger- 
ing the  lives  and  limbs  of  those  who  come  in  their  way ;  dis- 
turbing the  quiet  of  families  by  rude  noises  ;  poisoning  the  air 
with  their  narcotic  exhalations ;  and  sometimes  disturbing 
worshiping  assemblies  with  their  clamorous  sports.  That  your 
efforts,  and  especially  the  wide  circulation  of  your  Permanent 
Sabbath  Documents  may  help  to  abate  such  public  nuisances, 
and  reclaim  for  the  Lord's  day  that  regard  to  which  it  is  enti- 
tled, and  which  would  so  greatly  promote  the  public  good,  is 
the  earnest  prayer  and  confident  expectation  of  your  sincere 
friend." 

From  Rev.  Ralph  Emerson,  Professor  of  Ecclesiastical  History  in  the  An- 
dover  Theological  Seminary. 

"  I  have  just  read  No.  2,  of  the  Permanent  Sabbath  'Docu- 
ments. It  is  a  candid  and  conclusive  argument  in  favor  of  the 
Christian  Sabbath  as  a  divine  institution  ;  and,  like  its  prede- 
cessor, is  well  fitted  to  meet  the  exigency  of  the  times.  The 
biblical  part  of  the  argument  is  well  corroborated  by  a  fair  and 
full  statement  of  the  views  and  practice  of  the  early  Christian 
church,  and  of  the  reformers  of  the  sixteenth  century.  This 
statement  is  peculiarly  important,  at  the  present  time,  for  the 
purpose  of  correcting  the  erroneous  impressions  abroad  in  the 
community,  especially  in  regard  to  the  opinions  of  Calvin  and 
his  coadjutors. 

"  Should  this  tract  be  widely  circulated  and  carefully  read, 
I  believe  it  will  greatly  promote  the  reformation  now  so  happily 
begun  in  respect  to  the  religious  observance  of  the  Sabbath. 
No  external  reformation  is  more  needed  throughout  Christen- 
dom ;  and  none  can  promise  greater  results  for  this  life  or  the 
future.  For  many  ages  this  country  and  Great  Britain  have 
been  distinguished  above  all  others  for  the  observance  of  the 
Sabbath;  and  I  cannot  but  regard  this  as,  both  directly  and 
indirectly,  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  their  superior  advance- 
ment in  morality,  piety,  and  national  prosperity.  And  if  such 
be  the  fact,  we  may  well  consider  the  object  for  which  these 
Documents  are  prepared  as  among  the  most  important  that  can 
claim  the  attention  of  Christian  philanthropists." 

2* 


18 

From  Chancellor  Walworth,  of  the  State  of  New  York. 

"  I  have  just  closed  the  examination  of  the  second  number 
of  the  Permanent  Sabbath  Documents  ;  and  I  have  no  doubt 
of  the  correctness  of  the  principle  assumed,  as  to  the  moral 
and  perpetually  bindinor  obligation  of  the  command  of  Jehovah, 
to  '  Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy.'  I  think  it  is 
evident  from  the  Scriptures  also,  that  the  Saviour,  when  on  earth, 
recognized  this  Divine  command  as  still  binding  by  his  own 
observance  of  it.  His  custom  was  to  attend  the  synagogue  on 
the  Sabbath  day  ;  and  his  humble  and  devoted  f  )llovvers  rest- 
ed, 'according  to  the  commandment,'  on  that  Sabbath  of  afflic- 
tion in  which  the  last  hope  of  ruined  man  was  lying  in  the 
tomb  of  Joseph  of  Arimathea.  It  is  true  he  exposed  the  errors 
of  the  Jewish  formalists  who  complained  of  the  labors  of  love 
and  mercy  which  he  performed  on  the  Sabbath.  But  he  taught 
them  the  true  import  of  the  commandment  to  sanctify  the  Sab- 
bath ;  that  secular  employments  were  indeed  forbidden,  but 
that  works  of  piety  and  of  mercy  were  a  part  of  the  appropriate 
duties  of  that  holy  day ;  that  it  was  a  day  ordained  of  God  for 
the  benefit  of  man  as  well  as  for  his  own  worship  ;  and  not  a 
day  to  be  spent  in  mere  inactivity  and  sloth.  It  is  not  mate- 
rial that  we  should  know  whether  the  Saviour  himself  changed 
the  Jewish  for  the  Christian  Sabbath  by  personal  instructions 
to  his  disciples  before  his  ascension  into  heaven,  or  by  the 
inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit  a  short  time  afterwards.  But 
that  it  was  so  changed  in  the  time  of  the  Apostles,  and  that 
the  day  on  which  the  angels  at  the  tomb  announced  that  the 
Saviour  had  arisen,  and  the  work  of  redemption  was  finished, 
has  ever  since  been  observed  as  the  Christian  Sabbath,  is  too 
well  established  to  admit  of  any  reasonable  doubt.  That  is 
the  day,  then,  which  Christians  should  everywhere  observe  and 
sanctify.  And  if  the  principles  and  practice  recommended 
in  these  Permanent  Documents  should  be  generally  adopted 
throughout  Christendom,  their  beneficial  eflTects  upon  the 
social,  civil  and  religious  interests  of  fallen  man  would  be 
incalculable." 

Fr07n  Chief  Justice  Wiiiiams,  of  Connecticut. 

"I  have  read  the  Permanent  Sabbath  Document  No.  2. 
The  argument  appears  to  me  sound,  and  the  reasoning  conclu- 
sive. Should  those  views  become  universal,  and  the  Sabbath 
be  observed  accordingly,  through  the  length  and  breadth  of  our 
land,  the  influence  would  be  such  as  greatly  to  soften  and 
refine  the  manners,  to  reform  the  morals  and  to  improve  the 
physical  and  intellectual  powers— and  would  do  more  to  pre- 
vent the  progress  of  crime  than  all  our  prisons  and  houses  of 
reformation.     Besides  which,  its  efficacy  in  extending  the  king- 


19 

dom  of  him  who  is  Lord  of  the  Sabbath,  would  be  immense. 
In  short,  the  effect  upon  society  would  be  like  the  influence  of 
spring  upon  the  earth.  It  would  clothe  the  land  with  verdure, 
and  make  it  like  the  garden  of  God." 

From  Chancellor  Frelinghmjsen,  of  the  New  York  University. 

"  I  have  read  your  second  annual  report  of  the  American 
Sabbath  Union,  and  No.  2,  of  the  Permanent  Documents,  with 
great  interest,  and  I  trust,  some  profit. 

"  The  argument,  contained  in  the  Permanent  Documents,  in 
favor  of  the  Christian  Sabbath,  is  convincing  and  conclusive, 
and  [  hope,  will  commend  itself  to  every  candid  and  serious 
mind.  The  reasons  urged,  for  the  divine  institution  and  au- 
thority, the  perpetual  and  universal  obligation,  and  tho  benig- 
nant purposes,  of  this  sacred  day,  seem  to  my  humble  appre- 
hension of  sufficient  weight,  to  bring  every  thoughtful  man  to 
the  fixed  conviction,  that  the  Sabbath  was  indeed  made  for 
man.  And  that  we  are  as  really  bound  to  remember  it  and 
keep  it  holy,  as  any  other  precept  of  the  decalogue.  Would 
that  our  business  men  and  young  men  could  be  persuaded  to 
listen  to  God's  commandments  on  this  great  point  of  duty.  He 
engages  in  his  word,  and  that  by  promises  of  peculiar  empha- 
sis, to  bless  the  nation  and  the  individuals  who  honor  His  Sab- 
bath and  take  delight  in  its  services.  He,  in  explicit  terms, 
suspended  the  existence  of  Jerusalem,  on  the  treatment  shown 
to  the  Sabbath  ;  and  he  demolished  its  palaces,  and  the  lowest 
foundations  of  the  Temple,  because  His  people  profaned  the 
day  which  He  had  hallowed.  The  argument  further  shows, 
by  facts  and  unanswerable  reasoning,  that  not  only  the  laws  of 
God,  as  the  Ruler  of  the  universe,  but  the  laws  of  our  moral 
and  physical  constitution  require  the  one-seventh  portion  of 
time,  in  regular  and  constant  succession,  for  rest.  Let  the 
experience  of  any  one  take  the  case  and  try  the  truth  of  the 
proposition.  Who  or  where  is  he,  that  can  task  mind  or  body, 
week  after  week,  and  month  after  month,  without  the  rest  of 
the  Sabbath,  and  not  sink  under  the  grievous  burden  ?  But 
the  designs  of  this  institution,  as  you  most  forcibly  urge,  reach 
far  higher  and  nobler  ends,  than  mere  refreshment  and  repose. 
It  is  a  hallowed  day,  on  which  all  earthly  cares,  intellectual 
and  physical,  are  to  be  intermitted ;  and  man  led  to  the  con- 
templation of  his  spiritual  and  immortal  nature  ;  a  day  for  hira 
to  consider  the  relations  that  he  sustains  to  God  as  a  creature, 
and  the  hopes  which  the  Scriptures  authorize  him  to  cherish  as 
a  sinner.  It  is  here  the  subject  is  of  deepest  interest,  because 
of  everlasting  consequence.  And  hence,  we  perceive,  that 
not  only  the  labor  of  the  body  is  forbidden ;  but,  with  equal 
sternness,  all  intellectual  employment,  not  bearing  on  the  wor- 


20 

ship  of  God  and  the  claims  of  devotion.  For  the  speculations 
of  philosophy,  are  quite  as  absorbing  and  secularizing  as  the 
avocations  of  the  husbandman  or  the  din  of  the  workshop. 
The  nature  of  the  duty  is  indicated,  Avith  distinctness,  in 
the  following  divine  promise :  '  if  thou  call  the  Sabbath  a 
delight,  the  holy  of  the  Lord,  honorable,  and  shalt  honor  Him, 
not  doing  thine  own  ways,  nor  finding  thine  own  pleasure,  nor 
speaking  thine  own  words,  then  shalt  thou  delight  thyself  in 
the  Lord ;  and  I  will  cause  thee  to  ride  upon  the  high  places 
of  the  earth.' 

"  It  is  because  man  is  immortal,  that  his  merciful  Creator 
and  Judge  has  ordained  and  secured  for  him  a  Sabbath  day, 
that  meets  him  in  weekly  revolution  and  invites  him  to  reflec- 
tion and  meditation  and  prayer.  And  my  earnest  and  fervent 
desire  is,  that  God  would  graciously  smile  on  your  work  of 
faith  and  labor  of  love,  and  bring  this  whole  nation  into  will- 
ing obedience  to  the  law,  and  delightful  harmony  with  the 
spirit  of  the  Sabbath." 

From  Professor  Greenleaf,  of  the  Law  School,  Harvard  University. 

"  I  have  read  the  second  number  of  the  Permanent  Sabbath 
Documents  with  great  interest,  and  think  that  the  argument  for 
the  perpetuity  and  religious  duty  of  observing  one  day  in  seven 
as  a  holy  Sabbath  to  the  Lord,  is  perfectly  sound  and  persua- 
sive. It  is  equally  clear  to  my  view,  that  the  change  from  the 
seventh  to  the  first  day  of  the  week  was  made  by  the  Apostles 
themselves,  under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  is  now 
obligatory  on  all  who  profess  and  call  themselves  Christians. 

"  Should  the  views  inculcated  in  this  Document  be  adopted, 
and  the  Sabbath  be  kept  accordingly  throughout  our  country, 
the  consequences  upon  our  national  prosperity  and  happiness 
would  be  incalculable.  Moral  principles  and  motives  would 
gain  a  vast  accession  of  strength  from  the  wider  diflfusion  of 
the  knowledge  of  man's  duty  to  God  and  to  his  fellow  men  ; 
there  would  be  less  intemperance,  and  less  crime,  and  less 
poverty ;  and  more  industry,  sobriety,  domestic  virtue,  and 
true  peace.  Long  observation  has  convinced  me  that  a  large 
portion  of  the  miseries  we  endure  as  a  people,  may  be 
traced  to  the  neglect  and  desecration  of  the  Lord's  day ; 
and  that  on  this  score  many  individuals  in  the  upper  and  more 
observed  classes  of  society  have  a  heavy  amount  of  responsi- 
bility, from  the  bad  influence  of  their  example." 

From  Judge  McLean,  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States. 

"  I  have  read  '  Permanent  Sabbath  Document  No  2,'  and  I 
feel  no  common  interest  in  saying  that  in  my  judgment  the  ar- 


21 

gument  contained  in  that  Document  is  sound,  and  that  the  rea- 
sons are  conclusive.  In  support  of  this  opinion  I  need  not  refer  to 
the  force  of  the  languas^e  nor  the  clearness  of  the  illustrations, 
as  all  who  read  the  Document  will  feel  its  truth.  Where 
there  i3  no  Christian  Sabbath,  there  is  no  Christian  morality  ; 
and  without  this,  free  government  cannot  long  be  sustained. 
As  a  civil  institution  merely,  the  Sabbath  is  wise  and  politic. 
It  is  necessary  to  the  well  being  of  the  physical  nature  of  man 
and  beast ;  and  it  is  not  less  so  to  our  intellectual  energies. 
But  in  a  moral  point  of  vievv  it  is  most  important. 

"  No  man  can  properly  observe  the  Sabbath  without  feeling 
more  or  less  of  that  sublime  moral  influence  inculcated  in  the 
Scriptures.  And  this  will  increase  with  the  continued  observ- 
ance of  the  day.  It  will  grow  into  a  habit  which  will  exert  a 
salutary  restraint  over  the  thoughts  and  the  actions  of  the  indi- 
vidual, through  the  week,  and  will  make  him  a  moral  if  not  a 
religious  man.  And  this  influence  is  essential  to  the  mainte- 
nance and  purity  of  a  government  founded  and  sustained  by 
public  opinion.  Every  influence  that  restrains  the  bad  pas- 
sions of  our  nature,  and  elevates  and  purifies  our  thoughts  and 
actions,  makes  us  better,  and  tits  us  better  for  the  private  and 
public  duties  of  life.  I  should  never  doubt  the  honesty  of  a 
man  who,  from  principle,  keeps  the  Sabbath  day  holy. 

"  The  free  governments  of  antiquity  saw  the  necessity  of  a 
conservative  and  religious  influence,  and  hence  they  invoked 
the  mysterious  sayings  of  their  oracles,  and  the  influence  of 
the  gods  they  worshiped.  Their  religion  was  false  and  so 
was  their  philosophy  ;  but  how  much  through  such  instrumen- 
talities was  accomplished.  And  what  good  in  morals  and  in 
government  might  not  this  age  accomplish,  aided  by  the  sub- 
lime precepts  of  the  Bible.  There  is  no  duty  in  that  book 
more  clearly  enjoined  than  that  of  observing  the  Sabbath,  and 
there  is  none,  the  performance  of  which,  imposes  more  salutary 
restraints  and  inculcates  higher  virtues  on  society." 

From  Rev.  Samuel  Miller,  Prof,  of  Ecclesiastical  History  in  the  Princeton 
Theological   Seminarij . 

"  I  read  No.  '2,  of*  the  '  Permanent  Sabbath  Documents,'  with 
peculiar  pleasure.  To  me  the  positions  taken  appear  to  be  all 
safe,  the  reasoning  sound,  and  the  ancient  and  modern  testi- 
monies in  favor  of  Sabbatical  observance,  strongly,  conclu- 
sively, and  happily  presented.  I  was  particularly  pleased  with 
the  account  given  of  the  opinions  of  the  leading  Reformers  in 
regard  to  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  day  ;  of  the  true  reason 
why  those  opinions  have  been  so  frequently  misapprehended  ; 
and  the  real,  substantial  friendliness  to  what  we  deem  truth  on 
this  subject,  which,  after  all,  appears  in  their  writings,  and  was 
manifested  in  their  practice. 


22 

"  I  rejoice  to  find  that  many  secular  men,  and  eminent  states- 
men, who  make  no  profession  of  religion,  are  beginning  to  see 
and  acknowledge  that  all  the  interests  of  civil  society,  as  well 
as  of  the  church,  call  for  a  Sabbath,  and  for  a  Sabbath  duly 
sanctified  as  a  day  of  rest,  both  from  the  toil  of  labor,  and  the 
fever  of  sport— that  the  necessity  of  a  Sabbath  is  visibly  in- 
scribed on  all  the  physical  laws  of  man,  no  less  than  on  his 
moral  and  religious  interests.  And  I  cannot  but  indulge  the 
hope  that,  in  the  progress  of  popular  opinion,  we  shall  soon 
find  a  guaranty  for  tiiat  observance  of  the  Lord's  day  which 
will  be,  at  once,  a  source  and  a  pledge  of  rich  blessings  to 
our  beloved  country.  Let  any  reflecting  man  imagine,  for  a 
moment,  what  would  be  the  consequence  if  the  Christian  Sab- 
bath were  truly  observed  throughout  the  United  States,  or  in 
any  one  State  in  our  Union,  as  the  instructions  of  the  Bible, 
and  the  best  example  of  the  church  of  Christ  enjoin.  Can 
Buch  an  one  doubt  that  he  would  see,  just  in  proportion  to  the 
extent  of  the  observance,  purity,  order,  happiness,  and  moral 
and  physical  health  pervading  every  part  of  the  social  system 
— happy  families — the  diminution  of  crime — and  the  smiles  of 
a  gracious  Providence  everywhere  blessing  the  community .'' 
The  patriot,  as  well  as  the  Christian,  has,  if  he  did  but  know 
it,  the  deepest  interest  in  this  matter.  No  truth  was  ever  more 
distinctly  and  palpably  confirmed  by  the  history  of  man,  than 
that  the  neglecters  of  the  Sabbath  neglect  their  own  mer- 
cies. 

"  The  longer  I  live,  the  deeper  is  my  persuasion  of  two 
things:  1st.  That  the  proper  observance  of  the  Lord's  day  lies 
at  the  foundation  of  all  that  is  pure  and  regular,  and  morally 
healthful,  both  in  the  church  and  in  the  world ;  and,  2dly,  that 
for  promoting  and  securing  this  observance,  we  are  to  rely, 
imder  God,  much  less  on  the  enactments  of  legislatures,  and 
the  vigilance  of  juridical  officers,  than  on  the  force  of  an  en- 
lightened public  opinion,  and  the  power  of  that  hallowed  in- 
fluence which  the  faithful  instruction,  entreaty  and  warning  of 
the  friends  of  truth  and  righteousness  are  adapted  to  impart  to 
the  mass  of  a  community.  I  rejoice,  therefore,  in  all  the  con- 
ventions of  which  1  have  heard,  whether  national,  or  confined 
to  particular  states,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  and  extending 
a  correct  public  sentiment  on  this  great  subject.  1  believe 
they  have  done,  and  are  doing  great  good  ;  and  that  by  the 
Divine  blessing,  we  may  look  for  permanent  and  precious  ben- 
efits from  their  proceedings.  May  they  go  on  and  gather 
strength,  until  the  whole  population  in  every  part  of  our  fa- 
vored country  shall  feel  the  value  of  Sabbaths,  and  lend  all 
their  influence  to  their  appropriate  sanctification.  And  let  it 
be  remembered  that  as  in  every  community,  'one  sinner  de- 
stroyeth  much  good  ;'  so  one  enlightened,  conscientious  and 


23 

copsistent  friend  of  the  Sabbath,  knows  not  how  much  good 
he  may  accomplish  by  an  edifying  example  in  regard  to  this 
holy  day." 

Such  are  the  opinions  of  men  eminently  qualified  to 
judge  with  regard  to  soundness  of  the  argument  and  the 
conclusiveness  of  the  reasoning  in  the  Second  Document, 
or  that  which  forms  the  second  part  of  the  Sabbath  Man- 
ual. We  have  the  most  abundant  evidence  that  the  cir- 
culation of  these  Documents,  and  other  efforts  which  have 
been  made  by  various  classes  of  the  friends  of  the  Sab- 
bath, have  already  been  productive  of  great  good.  The 
public  attention  has  been  extensively  awakened  ;  numer- 
ous discourses  have  been  delivered;  the  secular,  as  well 
as  the  religious  press  has  spoken  often  and  impressively 
on  the  subject.  The  conviction  is  extending  and  deep- 
ening, that  "  the  Sabbath  was  made  for  man,"  and  that 
the  conscientious  observance  of  it  is  essential  to  his  high- 
est present,  and  future  good  ;  and  that  those  who  dese- 
crate it  to  purposes  of  worldly  business,  traveling  or 
amusement,  act  against  their  own  highest  interests.  The 
numbers  are  increasing,  also,  who  are  disposed  to  make 
efforts  to  extend  its  benefits  to  others.  Within  four  years, 
there  have  been  held  fourteen  State  Conventions  of  the 
friends  of  the  Christian  Sabbath,  of  various  denomina- 
tions and  political  parties,  to  unite  their  counsels  and  ef- 
forts for  the  promotion  of  the  universal  observance  of 
the  Lord's  day.  Seven  of  these  Conventions  have  been 
held  during  the  last  year,  and  one  at  Washington  for  the 
District  of  Columbia.  This  was  very  fully  attended  by 
delegates  from  churches,  by  members  of  Congress,  and 
gentlemen  connected  with  the  government,  and  by  many 
whose  position  and  character  enable  them  to  exert  a  great 
and  salutary  influence  on  the  country.  Numerous  other 
Conventions  have  been  held,  during  the  year,  for  counties 


24 

and  smaller  districts,  and  measures  have  been  adopt^ 
which  have  evidently  been  productive  of  much  benefit. 

On  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal,  the  experiments 
of  opening  the  locks  and  of  not  opening  them,  on  the 
Sabbath,  have  been  fairly  tried.  For  a  number  of  years 
the  locks  were  opened,  as  they  now  are  on  the  Erie  Canal, 
and  on  some  other  public  works.  It  was  said  that  it 
would  not  be  useful  or  safe  for  the  boatmen  to  be  per- 
mitted to  stop  on  the  Sabbath,  because  they  would  con- 
gregate together,  gamble,  become  intoxicated,  fight,  com- 
mit depredations  on  property,  and  become  worse  than  if 
they  should  continue  their  ordinary  employment.  So,  to 
prevent  the  boatmen  from  becoming  more  vicious,  and 
with  the  hope  that  they  would  do  more  work,  the  Com- 
pany, by  opening  the  locks,  aided  them  in  the  stated  and 
regular  desecration  of  the  Sabbath.  Still,  the  boatmen 
were  very  wicked,  and  very  degraded,  as  men  always  will 
be,  if  required  or  induced  to  labor  in  secular  business  on 
the  Sabbath  day.  Facts  have  shown  the  folly  and  the 
wickedness  of  that  course. 

The  following  is  a  communication  from  John  Wurts, 
President  of  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal  Company, 
to  a  member  of  the  Philadelphia  Sabbath  Association : 

"  Dear  Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  15th  inst.,  I  received  in  due 
course  of  mail,  but  I  delayed  answering  it  until  the  arrival,  at 
this  place,  of  R.  F.  Lord,  Esq.,  the  engineer,  who  has  had 
charge  of  our  canal  for  sixteen  years  past,  that  I  might  submit 
your  letter  to  him,  and  have  the  benefit  of  his  personal  observa- 
tion and  experience,  as  well  as  my  own,  in  giving  my  answer. 

"  The  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal  was  opened  for  naviga- 
tion in  its  entire  length  in  the  year  1829,  and  no  .discrimination 
was  made  bets\^een  the  Sabbath  and  any  other  day  in  the  use  of 
the  locks  until  the  year  1832.  Since  an  early  day  in  that  year, 
however,  navigation  on  the  canal  has  been  suspended  on  the 
Sabbath,  as  far  as  it  was  in  the  power  of  the  Company  to  sus- 
pend it,  in  relation  to  which,  however,  it  could  do  no  more  than 
inhibit  the  opening  of  the  locks  on  that  day.  You  will  per- 
ceive, therefore,  that  on  the  canal  there  has  been  a  period  of 


25 

three  years  of  Sabbath  labor  against  thirteen  of  a  suspension 
of  it. 

"  The  vast  change  that  has  taken  place  in  the  deportment 
and  morals  of  those  who  navigate  this  canal,  has  demonstrated 
to  all  who  have  had  an  opportunity  to  notice  it,  the  vvisdom  of 
the  course  adopted  by  tlie  Company,  if  there  had  been  no 
other  or  higher  motive  than  a  mere  question  of  business-gain 
connected  with  it.  The  improvement  in  the  conduct  and  mor- 
als of  the  boatmen,  has  been  the  subject  of  com.ment  and  con- 
gratulation noticed  by  all  connected  with  the  Company's 
business,  and  also  by  every  intelligent  and  respectable  resident 
on  the  line  of  the  canal.  Nor  has  this  improvement  been 
confined  to  the  boatmen  only  ;  it  is  observed  in  the  population 
along  the  line  of  the  canal  also,  who  are  in  no  way  connected 
with  its  navigation,  but  who,  when  the  Sabbath  was  not  respect- 
ed by  the  boatmen,  appearing  to  be  influenced  by  this  perni- 
cious example,  would  assemble  at  various  points,  and  turn  the 
day  into  one  of  frolic  and  dissipation,  or  of  strife  and  quarrel 
with  the  boatmen. 

"The  boatmen  and  the  people  on  the  line  were  thus  mutu- 
ally corrupting  each  other — and  while  the  locks  were  open  on 
the  Sabbath,  it  was  always  a  day  of  much  disorder,  and  much 
more  trouble  and  care  to  our  superintendent  on  the  canal,  than 
it  has  been  since. 

"  The  boatmen  now  strive  to  reach  some  point  by  Saturday 
night,  where  they  can  have  the  privilege  of  attending  a  place 
of  public  worship ;  and  if  they  fail  to  do  that,  the  fact  that  their 
progress  is  arrested  from  that  time  till  Monday  morning,  seems 
to  have  a  favorable  effect  on  their  conduct,  by  (as  I  presume) 
inducing  reflection  on  their  part.  Those  who  have  no  proper 
regard  to  the  day,  appear  to  respect  it  from  respect  to  the  opin- 
ions and  feelings  of  their  employers,  and  others  who  urge  upon 
them  the  observance  of  it.  When  we  first  made  the  change, 
it  was  apprehended  by  some  that  large  masses  of  boatmen 
would  be  assembled  in  idleness  at  various  points  on  the  Sab- 
bath, and  disorder  thereby  created.  This  apprehension  has 
not  been  realized  ;  on  the  contrary,  as  I  have  already  remarked, 
it  is  a  day  of  much  greater  quietness  and  order  than  it  was 
before  the  change  took  place.  1  would  remark  also,  that  the 
complaints  of  depredation  and  trespass  by  boatmen  on  private 
property  along  the  line,  are  much  less  frequent  than  they  were, 
before  navigation  was  suspended  on  the  Sabbath.  And  that  in 
all  respects  we  now  find  it  much  less  difficult  to  get  along  in 
peace  and  harmony  with  the  crews  of  five  or  six  hundred 
boats,  than  we  used  to  do  on  the  old  system  with  half  that 
number. 

"  In  regard  to  the  comparative  amount  of  labor  performed 
by  a  given  number  of  men,  horses,  boats,  etc.,  under  the  two 

A  3 


26 

systems,  I  would  remark,  that  from  our  experience  we  have  no 
doubt  the  preponderance  is  in  favor  of  six  days'  labor.  Mr, 
Lord,  who  has  had  sixteen  years  of  experience  on  the  canal, 
and  whose  duties  include  a  supervision  of  the  boats,  says,  that 
if  he  were  doing  the  work  by  contract,  with  a  limited  number 
of  boats,  and  had  his  choice  between  six  and  seven  days'  labor, 
he  would  elect  the  former. 

"  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  that  the  present  system 
has  been  more  profitable  to  the  company  and  to  the  boatmen, 
than  the  old  one.  It  cannot  be  otherwise,  from  the  facts  I  have 
stated ;  and  I  should  regard  it  as  mistaken  economy,  both  in 
time  and  money,  to  return  to  the  system  of  seven  days'  labor. 
So  would  the  boatmen.  There  is  not  a  doubt  but  at  least  four- 
fifths  of  them  would  earnestly  press  us  to  abide  by  our  pres- 
ent course,  if  the  question  of  a  change  should  be  agitated — 
and  those  who  would  go  for  a  change,  (if  any,)  would  be  found 
to  be  of  that  class  with  whom  we  would  willingly  part.  Such 
also  would  be  the  feeling  among  the  forwarders  and  others  in- 
terested in  the  navigation  of  the  canal ;  although  at  the  outset 
they,  as  well  as  many  of  the  boatmen,  w^ere  disinclined  to  the 
present  system. 

"  In  taking  the  step  we  did  thirteen  years  ago,  when  I  be- 
lieve every  canal  in  the  country  was  used  as  freely  on  the  Sab- 
bath, as  on  any  other  day,  if  the  public  chose  to  use  them,  the 
question  was  not  so  much,  what  is  to  be  the  effect  of  the  meas- 
ure, as  what  is  right — what  is  duty  ?  Having  no  doubts  as  to 
what  should  be  the  answer  to  such  an  inquiry,  the  course  dic- 
tated by  duty  was  adopted,  and  the  consequences  left  where 
they  may  always  safely  be,  under  like  circumstances." 

The  following  is  from  the  Collector  on  the  Delaware 
Division  of  the  Pennsylvania  Canal  : 

"  As  regards  the  suspension  of  business  operations  on  this 
and  the  Lehigh  canal  on  the  Christian  Sabbath,  commonly 
called  Sunday,  I  can  assure  you  it  has  thus  far  worked  admira- 
bly ;  has  given  almost  universal  satisfaction  in  this  community, 
as  well  as  to  the  boatmen  and  others  concerned ;  and  I  am  also 
satisfied  the  measure  is  not  calculated  to  diminish  the  revenue 
of  the  Commonwealth,  or  affect  the  interests  of  transporters  in 
the  least. 

"  Of  the  moral  conduct  of  our  boatmen  generally,  and  their 
demeanor  on  the  Sabbath  in  particular,  I  can  truly  speak  with 
great  commendation.  There  is  none  of  that  disorder  at  the 
places  where  they  'lay  by'  on  Sunday,  about  which  so  much 
apprehension  was  expressed,  in  advance  of  the  measure  going 
into  operation.     In  short,  it  has  proved  a  blessing  to  all  con- 


27 

cerned,  and  doubtless  has  a  salutary  bearing  also  upon  the 
morals  of  the  whole  community  residing  along  the  vicinity  of 
the  canal. 

"  Aside  from  its  moral  influence,  there  can  be  no  doubt  of 
the  beneficial  effect  this  measure  has  in  a  pecuniary  point  of 
view  ;  as  it  must  be  obvious,  that  both  men  and  beasts  will  do 
more  labor  in  six  days,  by  resting  every  seventh,  in  obedience 
to  the  Divine  Law,  as  well  as  that  of  Nature,  than  by  a  perpet- 
ual working  in  disregard  of  both,  wearing  out  themselves  and 
their  beasts." 


The  above  experiments  show  conclusive'y  four  things, 
viz  : 

1.  The  character  of  the  boatmen  has  been  greatly  im- 
proved. 

2.  A  similar  improvement  has  taken  place  with  regard 
to  the  inhabitants  living  in  the  vicinity  of  the  canal. 

3.  Depredations  on  property  are  much  less  frequent 
than  when  the  companies  opened  the  locks  on  the  Sab- 
bath; and  thus  assisted  the  boatmen  in  the  desecration  of 
that  day. 

4.  They  do  more  work,  and  in  a  better  manner. 

Similar,  it  is  believed,  would  be  the  effect  of  the  due 
observance  of  the  Sabbath  in  all  kinds  of  business  and 
among  all  classes  of  people.  It  was  made  for  man,  and 
the  proper  keeping  of  it  tends  to  promote  his  intellectual 
elevation,  his  moral  purity,  his  social  happiness,  and  his 
eternal  good.  It  cannot  be  desecrated  without  producing 
the  opposite  effects.  The  employment  of  men  in  secular 
business  seven  days  in  a  week  debases  their  minds,  cor- 
rupts their  morals,  injures  their  health,  and  shortens  their 
lives.  It  lessens  their  ability  and  their  inclination  for  the 
highest  and  best  efforts,  and  prevents  them  from  making 
the  wisest  and  most  profitable  use  of  their  powers.  Boat- 
men are  no  exception  to  this.  The  Sabbath  was  made 
for  them,  as  well  as  for  other  men.  They  need  it  as  much. 
The  keeping  of  it  will  do  them  as   much  good.     They 


28 

have  as  real  a  right  to  its  rest  and  its  privileges.  It  is  no 
more  needfal  to  deprive  them  of  its  blessings,  in  order  to 
prevent  them  from  becoming  more  wicked,  than  it  is  to 
deprive  other  men.  It  is  the  way  to  increase  their  wick- 
edness, and  it  does  increase  it  to  an  awful  extent ;  wiiile  it 
hinders  the  efficacy  of  all  means  for  their  reformation  and 
improvement. 

Let  boatmen  have  the  Bible,  and  the  Sabbath ;  let  mis- 
sionaries go  among  them  ;  let  friends  of  the  Sabbath,  in 
the  towns  and  villages  where  they  stop,  go  on  board  the 
boats,  and  invite  them  to  the  house  of  God  ;  let  seats  be 
furnished  for  them,  and  let  them  be  treated  as  they  ac- 
tually are,  a  very  useful  and  important  class  of  our  citi- 
zens, the  value  of  whose  health  and  moral  elevation  is 
incalculable ;  let  no  company,  or  State,  or  any  of  their 
officers  submit  to  the  low,  degrading,  and  vicious  employ- 
ment of  aiding  and  abetting  them  in  breaking  the  Sab- 
bath, by  opening  the  locks,  and  thus  assisting  them  to 
follow  their  ordinary  occupations  ;  and  the  interests  of 
the  boatmen,  of  the  owners  and  forwarders  of  property  on 
the    canal,    of  stockholders,   and   of  all    concerned,  will 

thereby  be  promoted. 

Sabbath  desecration,  by  high  or  low,  on  the  land  or  on 

the  water,  is  detrimental  to  individuals  and  to  the  state. 

It  is  a  hostile  invasion  of  the  rights  of  God,  and  must  be 

in  all  its  influences  hurtful  to  men. 

A  conviction   of  these   truths,  as   public    attention    is 

awakened  and  information  is  extended,  is  becoming  more 

and  more  general  throughout  the  country. 


FOURTH    REPORT. 


In  the  two  first  Sabbath  Documents  are  illustrated  the 
following  truths,  viz.: — 

1.  The  Sabbath  is  founded  on  the  nature  of  things  ;  and 
men  are  required,  not  only  in  the  Bible,  but  by  natural 
laws,  to  observe  it. 

2.  As  but  six  days  in  a  week  have  been  made  or  given 
to  men  for  secular  employments,  they  have  no  right  to 
take  any  more;  and  if  they  do  so,  it  is  without  right, 
against  law,  and  in  violation  of  one  of  the  first  principles 
of  morality, 

3.  As  the  Sabbath  does  not  belong  to  men  for  worldly 
purposes,  if  they  take  it  for  such  purposes,  they  take  what 
is  not  theirs,  and  thus  practice  a  species  of  dishonesty^ 
which  is  exceedingly  demoralizing  to  their  own  minds, 
and  to  the  minds  of  their  fellow-men. 

4.  Since  the  Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and  given  to 
him  as  a  day  of  rest  from  worldly  business  and  cares,  and 
of  special  devotion  to  the  worship  of  God,  and  the  pro- 
motion of  the  spiritual  good  of  men,  all  men  have  a  right 
thus  to  enjoy  it ;  and  no  man  or  body  of  men  can,  in  or- 
dinary circumstances,  deprive  them  of  the  exercise  of 
this  right,  without  great  injustice  towards  them,  the  com- 
munity, and  God. 

5.  All  men  have  a  right  not  only  to  the  rest  and  privi- 
leges of  the  Sabbath,  but  also  to  the  stillness  and  quiet 
which  the  undisturbed  enjoyment  of  those  blessings  re- 
quires ;  and  all  who  disturb  them  by  the  prosecution 
of  worldly    business,    traveling,    or    amusement,   grossly 

3* 


30 

invade  the   rights  and  trample  on  the  privileges  of  the 
people. 

6.  The  desecration  of  the  Sabbath  is  a  violation  of  an 
express  command  of  Jehovah,  and  is  adapted  to  draw 
down  on  those  who  are  guilty  of  it,  and  upon  others  with 
whom  they  are  connected,  the  sore  and  desolating  judg- 
ments of  Heaven. 

7.  Those  who  labor  continuously  seven  days  in  a  week 
are,  as  a  body,  less  healthy  and  long-lived  than  those  who 
labor  only  six ;  they  perform,  on  the  whole,  a  smaller 
amount  of  business,  and  in  a  less  perfect  manner. 

8.  Those  who  violate  the  Sabbath  are  more  often  guilty 
of  gross  outward  crimes  than  those  who  habitually  ob- 
serve it ;  and  a  much  greater  number  of  the  former  are 
convicts  in  prisons  and  penitentiaries  than  of  the  latter. 

9.  Men  who  labor  seven  days  in  a  week  do  not  ordina- 
rily acquire  any  more  property,  keep  it  any  longer,  or 
enjoy  it  any  better,  than  those  who  labor  only  six;  of 
course  they  work  one  day  in  a  week  more  than  others, 
without  being  gainers,  but  not  without  being  losers. 

10.  The  law  of  the  Sabbath  is  in  accordance  with  the 
nature  of  beasts  of  burden  ;  and  those  that  labor  but  six 
days  in  a  week  are  more  healthy,  strong,  and  long-lived, 
than  those  that  labor  seven  ;  they  can  travel  farther,  do 
more  work,  and  in  a  better  manner. 

11.  The  command  of  God,  which  he  wrote  with  his 
finger  on  a  table  of  stone,  requiring  the  cessation  from 
labor  of  both  man  and  beast  one  day  in  seven,  expresses 
an  obligation  which  grows  out  of  the  nature  of  things, 
and  will  be  permanently  binding  upon  all  who  know  it,  to 
the  end  of  time. 

12.  To  deprive  beasts  of  burden  of  the  rest  of  the 
Sabbath,  which  their  Maker  has  provided  for  them  and 
commanded  that  they  should  be  permitted  to  enjoy,  is  un- 


31 

profitable,  and  is  an  evidence  of  a  mean,  covetous,  unjust, 
and  ungrateful  spirit, 

13.  Those  who  work  against  the  command  of  God 
with  regard  to  the  keeping  of  the  Sabbath,  work  against 
the  providence  of  God,  to  the  injury  of  their  character 
and  prospects,  and  to  the  detriment  of  society.  Of  course 
both  duty  and  interest,  for  this  world  and  for  the  world  to 
come,  urge  all  men,  in  every  department  of  business,  to 
remember  the  Sabbath  day  and  to  keep  it  holy. 

14.  The  seventh  day,  which  God  commands  men  to 
remember  as  the  Sabbath,  and  to  keep  holy,  is  the  day 
which  comes  next  after  the  six  working  days  ,•  and  the 
first  working  day,  as  designated  by  the  word  and  provi- 
dence of  God,  by  the  practice  of  the  apostles  under  the 
guidance  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  of  Christians  in  all 
ages,  is  the  day  that  comes  next  after  that  which  commem- 
orates the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  and  the  redemption 
of  mankind. 

15.  The  Jews  had  two  kinds  of  Sabbaths,  viz.,  one 
made  for  man,  adapted  to  his  nature,  condition,  and 
wants,  in  all  ages  and  countries  ;  the  other,  adapted  to 
the  condition  of  the  Israelites  only,  from  the  time  they 
entered  Canaan  till  the  death  of  Christ,  The  former 
occurred  once  in  seven  days;  the  others  occurred  annu- 
ally, on  certain  specified  days  of  the  month  ;  as,  for  in- 
stance, the  first,  tenth,  fifteenth,  and  twenty-second  days 
of  their  month  Tizri,  answering  to  a  part  of  our  Septem- 
ber. 

16.  The  former  is  the  Sabbath  referred  to  in  the  twen- 
tieth chapter  of  Exodus,  from  the  eighth  to  the  eleventh 
verse.  The  latter  are  referred  to  in  the  twenty-third 
chapter  of  Leviticus,  in  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  Romans, 
and  in  the  second  chapter  of  Colossians. 

17.  The  command  to  keep  the  weekly  Sabbath  was 
placed    by   the   Lawgiver   iu   the  moral  code,   and    was, 


32 

like  its  associates,  a  moral,  permanent,  universal  law. 
The  command  to  keep  the  yearly  Sabbaths  was  placed 
by  the  Lawgiver  in  the  ceremonial  code,  and  was,  like  its 
associates,  local  and  temporary;  not  binding  until  that 
code  was  adopted,  and  then  on  the  Jews  alone,  and  on 
them  only  till  the  death  of  Christ,  and  the  establishment 
of  the  gospel  dispensation. 

18.  The  Jews,  at  the  coming  of  Christ,  having  lost 
much  of  the  spirit  of  their  religion,  and  become  idola- 
trously  devoted  to  its  forms,  supposed  that  the  ceremonial 
as  well  as  the  moral  laws  were  to  be  binding  under  the  gos- 
pel. Some  of  them  thought  so,  after  they  had  believed  on 
the  Saviour  and  joined  the  Christian  church.  Others,  who 
had  a  more  correct  knowledge  of  the  nature  and  object  of 
ceremonial  laws,  knew  that  they  were  not  designed  to  be 
binding  under  the  gospel,  and  they  did  not  observe  them. 
This  created  difficulties,  and  led  to  contentions  in  the 
church. 

19.  Paul,  like  a  wise  and  faithful  minister,  attempted 
to  remove  those  difficuKies  and  to  heal  the  divisions. 
The  manner  in  which  he  did  it,  is  recorded  in  the  four- 
teenth chapter  of  Romans,  and  in  the  second  chapter  of 
Colossians,  for  the  instruction  of  men  in  all  ages. 

20.  The  holy  days  and  Sabbaths  spoken  of  in  the  above- 
mentioned  chapters,  were  not  the  weekly  Sabbath,  which 
was  made  for  man,  the  command  to  keep  which  was 
placed  by  the  Lawgiver  in  the  moral  code  among  perma- 
nent universal  laws;  but  they  were  the  yearly  Sabbaths, 
the  command  to  keep  which  was  placed  by  the  Lawgiver 
in  the  ceremonial  code,  among  the  local  and  temporary 
regulations  of  the  Jews,  which  were  designed  to  make 
and  to  keep  them  a  peculiar  people ;  such  as  meats  and 
drinks,  new  moons,  feasts,  fasts,  and  things  that  were  a 
shadow  only  of  what  was  to  be  in  the  church  of  Christ, 
under  the  gospel  dispensation. 


33 

21.  The  above  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  the  apos- 
tle classes  the  days  spoken  of  with  the  associates  of  the 
ceremonial,  not  with  the  associates  of  the  moral  code. 
He  does  not  say,  One  believeth  that  he  must  not  have 
other  gods  before  Jehovah  ;  another  believeth  that  he 
may  have;  —  one  believeth  that  he  must  not  take  the 
name  of  the  Lord  his  God  in  vain,  dishonor  his  parents, 
kill,  commit  adultery,  steal,  bear  false  witness,  or  covet; 
another  thinketh  that  he  may.  It  was  not  about  these 
things  that  the  members  of  those  churches  were  contend- 
ing, but  about  meats,  drinks,  new  moons,  and  tlie  holy 
days  and  Sabbaths  associated  with  them. 

22.  Those  who  apply  what  the  apostle  says  in  the  four- 
teenth chapter  of  Romans,  and  in  the  second  chapter  of 
Colossians,  and  other  similar  places,  to  the  weekly  Sabbath 
of  the  moral  law,  as  if  that  were  among  the  carnal  ordi- 
nances and  shadows  which  Christ,  by  his  death,  abolished, 
blotted  out,  and  took  away,  do  exceedingly  err,  not  know- 
ing the  Scriptures,  nor  the  will  of  God  with  regard  to 
the  keeping  of  the  Sabbath,  under  the  Christian  dispen- 
sation. 

23.  The  preaching  of  Christ  and  him  crucified,  as  the 
foundation  of  human  hope,  by  ministers  of  the  gospel, 
who  preach  as  did  the  apostles,  was  not  designed,  and  is 
not  adapted,  to  make  void  the  fourth  commandment,  or 
any  part  of  the  moral  law,  but  to  establish  it ;  and  till 
heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  not  one  jot  or  tittle  of 
the  spirit  of  that  law  will  fail.  Those  who  preach  against 
that  law,  therefore,  or  against  the  keeping  of  the  weekly 
Sabbath,  oppose  the  revealed  will  of  God. 

24.  The  more  true  religion  prevails  in  the  world,  the 
more  universally  will  the  weekly  Sabbath  be  kept,  not  as 
a  day  of  secular  business,  traveling,  or  amusement, 'but 
as  a  day  of  rest,  and  of  special  devotion  to  the  worship  of 
God  and  the  promotion  of  the  spiritual  interests  of  men ; 


u 

till  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath  all  flesh  shall  assemble  and 
worship  Jehovah  as  their  Maker,  Redeemer,  Sanctifier, 
Owner,  Governor,  and  Judge,  and  render  to  him  the  hom- 
age, adoration,  and  praise,  which  are  due  to  his  great  and 
holy  name. 

Such  are  some  of  the  truths  which  are  illustrated  and 
enforced  in  the  two  first  Permanent  Sabbath  Documents. 
Appended  to  the  second  Document  are  also  some  extracts 
from  the  writings  of  Luther,  Melancthon,  Calvin,  and  a 
number  of  other  eminent  reformers  ;  showing  conclusive- 
ly, that,  although  their  views  on  the  subject  of  the  Sab- 
bath were  not  in  all  respects  correct,  they  were  by  no 
means  so  erroneous  as  Sabbath-breakers  have  sometimes 
represented,  or  as  some  insulated  passages  of  their  writ- 
ings might  seem  to  imply.  These  extracts  are  recom- 
mended to  the  careful  perusal  of  all  who  wish  to  know 
what  were  the  real  views  of  these  men  ;  and  if  any  wish 
to  see  their  views  stated  more  at  large,  they  may  find  them 
in  Fairbairn,  on  the  Opinions  of  the  Reformers. 


FIFTH     REPORT. 


Among  the  numerous  signs  of  the  times,  which  give 
promise  of  future  good  to  mankind,  is  a  widely  extended 
and  an  increasing  attention  to  the  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath. The  ends  for  which  this  institution  was  appointed, 
the  will  of  its  Author,  and  the  effects  of  observing  it,  must 
ever  give  it  a  high  place  in  the  estimation  of  all  intelligent 
and  right  minded  men.  Philanthropists  have  ofien  no- 
ticed the  facts,  that  open  vices  are  not  practiced  by  men 
who  keep  the  Sabbath;  and  that  the  reckless  and  aban- 
doned are  uniformly  violators  of  this  holy  day.  Nor  is 
this  without  obvious  reasons.  There  are  laws,  fixed  and 
uniform  in  their  operation,  of  which  these  facts  are  the 
natural  result. 

Such  is  the  nature  of  the  Sabbath,  and  such  the  nature 
of  man,  that  opposite  courses  with  regard  to  the  observ- 
ance of  the  day,  will  produce  upon  them  opposite  effects. 
One  course  is  a  practical  acknowledgement  of  the  exist- 
ence and  perfections  of  Jehovah,  and  of  his  omnipresent 
and  rightful  authority ;  the  other  is  a  practical  denial  of 
these  great  truths.  It  is  acting  as  if  there  were  no  God, 
and  no  state  of  future  retribution.  Acting  like  atheists, 
produces  upon  men  atheistical  effects;  hence  the  reason 
why  such  vastly  greater  numbers  of  the  latter  class  are 
openly  vicious  than  of  the  former.  One  class  say,  by 
their  conduct,  to  themselves  and  others,  "Verily  there  is 
a  God  that  judgeth  in  the  earth ;  "  and  "  thou  God  seest 
me;  and  wilt  bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with  every 


36 

secret  thing,  whether  ii  be  zoo6,  or  whether  it  be  ei'ii," 
The  other  saj,  "No  God:'  "no  heaven — no  hell." 
And  each  course  produces,  upon  those  who  pursue  it,  its 
appropriate  effects. 

Visit  all  the  prisons  in  our  land,  and  you  do  not  find 
the  Sabbath-keepers  there :  but  Sabbath-breakers  you 
may  find  in  great  numbers.  Not  a  few  you  may  find, 
who  once  kept  the  Sabbath;  and  while  they  did  that, 
were  sober,  industrious,  and  useful.  But  they  began  to 
riolate  it,  and  their  character  began  to  deteriorate ;  their 
prospects  were  darkened ;  and  they  committed  crimes, 
which  carried  them  to  the  prison,  and,  some  of  them,  will 
carry  to  the  gallows. 

What,  then,  are  those  men  doing,  especially  those  who 
hare  influence,  who  openly  violate  the  Sabbath,  or  lead 
others  to  do  it?  They  are  undermining  the  foundations 
of  Tinue,  and  strengthening  the  hands  of  vice :  multiply- 
ing the  number  of  convicts :  inculcating  practical  atheism 
on  their  countrymen,  and  warring  against  the  great  inter- 
ests of  mankind. 

Rai!-road  Companies,  who  ran  their  cars  on  the  Sab- 
bath— Canal  Commissioners,  and  Steam-boat  Proprietors, 
who  run  their  boats — and  all,  who  violate  the  sanctity  of 
this  day,  for  purposes  of  gain  or  amusement,  are  doing  an 
injury  to  society,  which  they  can  never  repair. 

Do  you  say,  *  There  is  so  much  business,  that  it  can- 
not be  done  in  six  days  in  a  week  :  and  that,  therefore, 
men  mmf  work  on  the  Sabbath — there  is  a  necessity  for 
it?'  What  is  the  ground  of  that  necessity?  Is  it  that 
men  may  make  more  money,  a  self-made  necessity?  If 
go,  it  is  a  iciched  necessity.  Men  have  no  right  to  lay  out 
more  business,  or  attempt  to  perform  more  than  they  can 
accomplish  bj  working  six  days  in  a  week.  If  they  do, 
they  attempt  to  be  wiser  than  God,  and  show  this,  by  the 
Tiolaticm  of  bis  command. 


37 

The  Farmer,  the  Merchant,  the  Mechanic,  might  all 
lay  out  more  business  than  they  could  perform  ;  but  it 
would  be  wicked,  and  the  prosecution  of  it  would  expose 
them  to  Divine  wrath. 

Nor  is  it  different  with  Corporations,  or  Bodies  of  men. 
Though  they  are  sometimes  said  to  have  no  souls,  the  in- 
dividuals who  compose  them  have  souls,  and  will  be  held 
accountable  for  their  influence  in  Public  Bodies,  no  less 
than  in  their  private  concerns.  Each  individual  must 
give  an  account  of  himself  unto  God.  And  none  but  God 
can  tell  hi)w  soon. 

A  friend  of  the  Sabbath  was  accustomed  to  go,  on  the 
morning  of  this  day,  on  board  the  vessels  in  the  harbor, 
to  distribute  Religious  Tracts,  and  invite  the  officers  and 
men  to  attend  public  worship.  In  one  of  his  visits,  he 
found  the  officers  and  men,  on  board  a  certain  vessel, 
hard  at  work.  He  spoke  to  the  captain,  and  invited  him 
to  attend  church.  He  said  he  should  like  to  do  it,  but  he 
could  not;  they  must  that  day  keep  to  work.  He  said 
he  was  under  contract  to  the  government,  and  was  obliged 
to  do  it.  "What!"  said  the  man,  ''obliged  to  break  the 
command  of  God?"  '*  Yes,"  he  said,  "  I  am."  "But," 
said  the  man,  "  God  will  call  you  to  an  account."  The 
captain,  in  a  sad  tone  of  voice,  replied,  '' I  suppose  he 
will."  They  parted.  The  next  morning,  in  passing 
about  his  vessel,  the  captain  fell  overbf>ard,  and  immedi- 
ately sank.  They  rushed  to  the  side  of  the  vessel ;  he 
rose  once,  and  cast  up  a  wild,  despairing  look,  sank 
again,  and  was  seen  no  more.  Had  he  known  that  that 
was  to  be  his  last  Sabbath  on  earth,  would  he  have  spent 
it  in  loading  his  vessel?  Suppose  the  government  had 
required  it;  would  he  not  have  chosen  to  obey  God 
rather  than  men?  And  would  he  not  have  been  wise  in 
so  doing  ? 

And  when,  under  a  great  pressure  of  business,  that 
A  4 


38 

active,  enterprising  young  man  consented  to  go  with  the 
rail  cars,  on  the  Sabbath,  ahhough  they  had  not  been  ac- 
customed to  run  on  that  day;  and,  after  going  about  forty 
miles,  struck  his  head  and  was  killed ;  had  he  known 
that  such  was  to  be  the  end,  would  he  not,  like  the  other 
young  man  who  was  requested  to  go,  have  refused,  be- 
cause it  was  the  Sabbath?  And  would  he  not  have  been 
a  gainer  by  that  refusal  ?  It  is  never  wise,  never  safe, 
for  the  sake  of  money,  or  any  earthly  good,  to  provoke 
the  wrath  of  the  Almighty.  Though  sentence  against 
this  evil  work  should  not  be,  as  it  often  is  not,  executed 
speedily;  because  God  is  long-suffering,  not  willing  that 
men  should  perish,  but  come  to  repentance !  yet  even  in 
these  cases  it  is  more  wise,  more  safe,  and  in  the  end,  in 
all  respects  better,  to  obey  his  commands. 

Nor  is  it  true,  that  men  who  work  seven  days  in  a  week 
can  do  more  work,  or  in  a  better  manner,  than  those  who 
work  only  six.  They  do  not,  ordinarily,  get  more  prop- 
erty, keep  it  longer,  or  enjoy  it  better.  They  are  no 
more  respectable,  useful,  or  happy;  and  in  no  respect 
have  they  any  lasting  advantage  above  those  who  keep 
holy  the  Sabbath ;  but  in  numerous  ways  they  suffer  great 
loss.  This,  we  should  expect,  from  the  declarations  of 
God  ;  and  it  is  abundantly  proved  by  facts. 

Wherever  our  Documents  have  gone,  this  conviction 
has  been  extended  and  increased.  The  Committee  are, 
therefore,  desirous  of  putting  a  copy  of  them  into  every 
family  that  is  disposed  to  receive  it,  throughout  the  United 
States.  And  they  cannot  but  believe,  from  what  has 
taken  place,  that  such  a  distribution  would  be  of  unspeak- 
able value  to  the  present  and  to  future  generations. 

The  First  Document  shows  that  the  foundation  for  the 
Sabbath  is  laid  in  the  works  of  God ;  and  that  the  Fourth 
Commandment  only  expresses  the  moral  obligation  which 
results  from  the  nature  and  relations  of  things. 


39 

The  Second   Document  shows  that   God,  ia  his  word  ' 
and  by  his  providence,   has  clearly  designated   the  first 
day  of  the  week,  as  the  day  to  be  kept,  from  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Christ  to  the  end  of  the  world. 

The  Third  Document  shows  the  effects  of  keeping  the 
Sabbath,  on  children,  while  under  the  care  of  parents, 
and  on  young  men,  in  that  most  dangerous  of  all  periods 
of  human  life,  from  the  time  when  they  leave  the  family 
circle,  to  the  time  when  they  become  heads  of  families 
themselves. 

The  Fourth  Document  shows  the  manner  in  which  the 
Sabbath  should  be  kept,  in  order  to  realize  its  highest 
benefits ;  and  answers  a  number  of  objections,  which  are 
often  made  to  the  keeping  of  it  in  this  way. 

The  Secretary  has  made  such  arrangements,  with  re- 
gard to  the  distribution  of  these  Documents,  that  for  every 
thousand  dollars  whicb  shall  be  furnished  for  this  purpose, 
a  copy  of  one  or  more  of  them  may  be  put  into  a  hundred 
thousand  families.  Had  the  Committee  the  means,  they 
could  supply  half  a  million  families  a  year;  and  many  of 
them  on  the  frontiers,  and  in  the  most  destitute  parts  of 
the  country.  By  means  of  men  at  New  Orleans,  Pitts- 
burgh, and  Buffalo,  furnished  with  them  in  German, 
French,  and  Spanish,  they  could  also  be  put  into  a  great 
portion  of  the  families  of  immigrants  that  go  through 
those  places  into  the  southern  and  western  country. 
Something  has  already  been  done  for  this  class ;  and  it  ia 
interesting  to  see  how  it  operates.  They  are  strangers  in 
a  strange  land.  Speaking  a  foreign  language,  and  feeling 
as  if  there  were  little  or  no  sympathy  in  their  behalf, 
when  they  see  a  little  book  kindly  offered,  in  their  own 
mother  tongue,  it  looks  like  liome.  They  take  it  with 
eagerness,  read  it  with  attention,  and  not  unfrequently  it 
makes  a  strong  and  lasting  impression.  Not  having  been 
rightly  instructed,  in  many  cases,  on  the  subject  of  the 


40 

Sabbath,  it  opens  a  new  world  to  their  contemplation. 
They  carry  the  book  with  them  to  their  new  home.  It 
becomes  a  family  book.  The  principles  and  facts  make 
a  deep  impression  ;  and  future  generations  will  reap  the 
benefit.  God,  in  his  providence,  is  so  ordering  things, 
that  greater  and  greater  numbers  are  coming  to  this 
country.  Who  knows  but  it  is  that  they  may  become 
better  acquainted  with  Him,  with  his  word,  his  Sabbath, 
and  the  way  of  life  which  he  has  opened — through  the 
suffering  and  death  of  his  Son  ?  Thus,  while  their  con- 
dition is  greatly  improved  for  this  world,  their  prospect 
will  be  exceedingly  brightened,  as  to  preparation  for  bless- 
edness in  the  world  to  come.  Among  all  the  means  of 
grace,  few,  if  any,  are  more  efficacious  than  the  proper 
keeping  of  the  Sabbath.  Without  this,  all  other  means 
must,  to  a  great  extent,  fail. 

The  Committee,  therefore,  most  respectfully  and  ear- 
nestly invite  all  friends  of  the  Saboath,  and  all  patriotic 
as  well  as  Christian  men,  who  are  blessed  with  property, 
to  aid  them  in  the  prosecution  of  this  great  and  good 
work. 

Let  the  millions  who  are  rising  up  among  us,  and  the 
millions  who  are  coming  from  abroad  to  people  the  vast 
territory  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  ocean,  be  per- 
suaded rightly  to  keep  the  Sabbath,  and  they  will  know 
Him  as  their  God,  and  the  God  of  their  children.  They 
will  be  sanctified  by  that  knowledge,  and,  through  his 
grace,  be  fitted  to  serve  him  on  earth  and  to  enjoy  him  in 
heaven.  Blessings,  temporal  and  spiritual,  according  to 
their  wants,  will  descend  upon  them  and  be  perpetuated 
to  future  generations.  In  the  language  of  the  Lord  of 
the  Sabbath,  they  shall  ride  upon  the  high  places  of  the 
earth,  and  he  will  feed  them  with  the  heritage  of  his 
people. 

In  England,  Scotland  and  Ireland,  France  and  Ger- 


41 

many,  India,  China,  and  various  other  parts  of  the  world, 
the  friends  of  the  Sabbath  are  making  special  efforts  to 
procure  its  more  sacred  observance.  They  are  proclaim- 
ing the  principles  and  spreading  abroad  the  facts  which 
urge  men,  not  only  from  duty  but  also  from  interest,  to 
confine  their  worldly  business  and  amusements  to  six  days 
in  a  week,  and  to  keep  holy  the  Sabbath.  A  convi<jtion 
is  awakened,  no  doubt  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  is  con-' 
stantly  extending,  that  this  is  essential  to  the  welfare  of 
man. 

Infidelity  sometimes  opposes,  skepticism  reviles,  and 
world! iness,  coming  in  like  a  flood,  threatens  to  sweep 
the  Sabbath  away;  but  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  throughout 
the  Christian  world,  is  raising  higher  and  higher  this 
standard  against  them.  The  contest  may  be  sharp,  but 
it  will  not  probably  be  long  ;  and  victory  is  certain.  The 
Sabbath,  made  for  man  by  Him  who  made  man,  will  con- 
tinue to  rise,  and  will  stand  as  a  sign  between  God  and 
his  people;  and  he  will  continue  to  extend  its  heavenly 
influence  from  country  to  country,  according  to  his  prom- 
ise, till  all  flesh,  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath,  shall  come  and 
worship  before  Him,  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath 
«poken  it. 


SIXTH     REPORT 


<Jf  all  the  influences  which  can  be  brought  to  bear  upon 
the  human  mind,  for  the  purpose  of  leading  it  to  God, 
and  goodness  and  heaven,  that  which  springs  from  the 
knowledge  of  God  is  the  greatest.  That  is  most  often 
attended  by  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  ren- 
dered efficacious  to  the  salvation  of  man.  Hence  one 
great  object  of  God,  in  all  his  dealings  with  men,  is,  to 
communicate  to  them  a  correct  knowledge  of  himself. 
This  is  also  one  great  object  in  all  the  institutions  of  his 
appointment,  and  especially  in  the  institution  of  the  Sab- 
bath. Such  is  the  nature  of  the  Sabbath  and  such  the 
nature  of  man,  that  he  cannot  in  a  proper  manner  observe 
it,  without  receiving  from  it  great  good.  The  very  still- 
ness which  the  keeping  of  it  occasions,  is  adapted  to 
make  a  strong  and  useful  impression,  especially  on  the 
young.  It  is  also  suited  to  prepare  the  mind  for  the 
accomplishment  of  the  end  for  which  God  made  the  day 
and  gave  it  to  men  ;  viz.,  to  communicate  to  them  a  saving 
knowledge  of  himself.  **  I,  saith  Jehovah,  gave  them  my 
Sabbaths  to  be  a  sign  between  me  and  them,  that  they 
might  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  that  sanctify  them." — Ez. 
XX.  12.  Hence  his  command,  Ez.  xx.  20,  '*  Hallow," 
that  is  keep  sacred,  *•  my  Sabbaths  ;  and  they  shall  be  a 
sign  between  me  and  you,  that  ye  may  know  that  1  am 
the  Lord  your  God." 

This  knowledge,  through  the  right  keeping  of  the  Sab- 
bath, and  by  its  means  of  grace,  attendance  upon  which 
is  a  part  of  the  proper  mode  of  keeping  it,  God  commu- 


43 

nicates,  and  renders  efRcacious  to  the  sanctification  and 
salvation  of  men.  By  this  knowledge  also  he  promotes 
their  highest  good  in  this  world.  Of  all  the  knowledge 
of  which  the  soul  is  capable,  this  is  the  most  important. 
The  soul  is  so  made  that  to  know  God,  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  love  and  obey  him,  is  life,  even  life  eternal. 
The  Sabbath  day  is  ihe  great  institution  of  God,  with  its 
means  of  grace,  for  the  communication  of  this  knowl- 
edge. It  is  the  institution  which  he  blesses,  and  renders 
efficacious  to  this  end.  And  its  importance  as  a  means, 
is  as  great  as  the  end  which  it  was  appointed  to  accom- 
plish; and  which,  under  the  blessing  of  God,  when 
rightly  observed,  it  does  accomplish.  It  is  as  important 
to  men  as  their  highest  good  on  earth,  and  their  eternal 
life  in  heaven. 

Hence  the  variety  of  ways  in  which  God  has  made 
known  his  will  with  regard  to  it.  His  works,  his  word, 
and  his  providence,  all  proclaim,  *'  Remember  the  Sab- 
bath day,  and  keep  it  holy ;  six  days  shall  thou  labor,  and 
do  all  thy  work,  but  the  seventh  is  the  Sabbath  of  the 
Lord  thy  God,  in  it  thou  shall  not  do  any  work  ;  thou, 
nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  nor  thy  man-servant,  nor 
thy  maid-servant,  nor  thy  cattle,  nor  the  stranger  that  is 
within  thy  gates;"  that  is,  under  thy  control. 

The  reason  which  he  gives,  is,  his  own  example.  Ex. 
XX.  11.  This  is  a  good  reason.  It  satisfies  God,  and  in 
proportion  as  we  are  in  temper  like  him,  it  will  satisfy  us. 
It  is  not  a  Jewish  reason,  or  one  which  applies  only  to  a 
part  of  mankind,  in  one  age  or  country.  But  it  applies 
to  people  of  all  ages  and  all  countries,  for  whom  God 
created  the  world ;  and  when  taken  in  connection  with 
the  other  reasons  which  are  manifested  in  the  works,  the 
word,  and  the  providence  of  God,  it  is  adapted  to  carry 
universal  conviction  to  the  minds  of  men. 

To  spread  a  knowledge  of  these  reasons  and  invite  to 


44 

tbem  universal  attention,  has  been  one  great  object  of  the 
American  and  Foreign  Sabbath  Union,  for  the  last  six 
years. 

In  pursuance  of  the  duties  of  his  office,  the  Secretary 
has  traveled  upwards  of  forty-five  thousand  miles,  and 
through  twent)?-fire  of  the  United  States  ;  addressing,  as 
he  had  opportunity,  public  bodies  of  all  descriptions,  and 
setting  before  them  the  reasons  why,  as  individuals  and 
as  a  nation,  we  should  keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy.  He 
has  also  collected  and  embodied  numerous  facts,  which 
have  been  extensively  circulated,  and  which  show  that 
in  the  keeping  of  the  Sabbath  there  is  great  reward. 
By  attention  to  the  subject  in  the  light  of  facts,  and  also 
by  experience,  increasing  numbers,  from  year  to  year,  are 
coming  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  so.  As  light  increases, 
and  principles  and  facts  become  known,  a  change  of 
sentiment  and  practice  is  going  forward  throughout  our 
country. 

To  the  great  cattle-mart  in  Brighton,  cattle  had  been 
driven  for  years,  on  the  Sabbath  ;  and  the  day  been  spent, 
by  many,  in  preparation  for  the  public  sale  on  Monday. 
But  to  avoid  the  evils  of  this  course,  the  market-day  has 
been  changed  to  Thursday,  by  the  drovers  themselves ; 
and  greatly  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  community. 

Steamboats  and  rail-cars,  in  many  cases,  have  ceased 
to  run  on  the  Sabbath,  and  on  some  of  the  greatest 
thoroughfares  in  the  United  States.  More  than  eighty 
thousand  miles  of  mails  which,  a  few  years  ago,  run  on 
the  Sabbath,  have  been  stopped  ;  and  the  Post  Master 
General,  in  a  written  communication,  made  the  last  year, 
has  said,  "  I  should  he  gratified  to  see  the  transmission  of 
the  mails,  as  well  as  every  other  species  of  labor,  suspend- 
ed on  the  Sabbath."  "  When  proprietors  of  convey- 
ances are  disposed  to  withdraw  the  means  of  conveyance 
on  that  day,  and  there  is  no  likelihood  of  others  being 


45 

substituted  so  as  to  give  facilities  to  a  few  to  the  disad- 
vantage and  injury  of  llie  many,  I  take  pleasure  in  acced- 
ing to  the  arrangements,  so  far  as  the  mails  are  concerned; 
as  has  lately  been  done  upon  the  lines  of  Rail  Roads 
between  Albany  and  Buffalo  ;  following  the  example  set 
by  the  New  York  and  Boston  and  the  Boston  and  Albany 
lines." 

More  than  thirty  Rail  Road  Companies  now  do  not 
run  their  cars  on  the  Sabbath  day,  and  about  a  dozen  of 
them,  out  of  New  England,  have  stopped  the  last  year. 
Increasing  uneasiness,  by  increasing  numbers,  is  mani- 
fested, where  the  cars  still  continue  to  run  ;  and  on  many 
routes  the  number  of  travelers  is  constantly  diminishing. 
It  is  becoming  more  disreputable  to  travel  on  the  Sab- 
bath;  and  the  practice  is  becoming  more  confined,  in 
many  places,  to  the  low  and  vulgar,  the  ignorant  and 
vicious. 

The  President  of  a  Rail  Road  Company  whose  cars 
run  on  the  Sabbath,  was  not  accustomed  to  attend  public 
worship.  On  a  certain  Sabbath,  when  the  cars  arrived, 
he  went  to  the  window  of  his  house,  which  stood  near 
the  depot,  to  see  the  passengers  as  they  got  out  of  the 
cars.  After  gazing  at  them  for  a  time,  he  called  his  wife 
to  come  and  look  at  them  ;  and  he  was  so  struck  with 
their  shabby  appearance,  that  he  exclaimed,  "  It  is  a 
shame  for  the  cars  to  run  on  the  Sabbath  to  carry  such 
fellows  as  those." 

An  intelligent  and  fashionable  lady  called  on  a  friend 
of  hers  who  belonged  to  a  distant  city.  In  the  course  of 
conversation  she  inquired  of  her  friend  when  she  arrived. 
She  said,  "  On  the  Sabbath."  "  What,"  said  the  lady, 
"  do  you  not  know  that  it  is  very  disreputable  to  travel  on 
the  Sabbath  ?  "  Why  should  it  not  be  disreputable  ?  the 
day  was  not  made  or  given  to  men  to  be  used  as  a  day  of 
secular   business,  traveling,  or   amusement,   and   they  do 


46 

not  own  it  for  that  purpose.  As  it  is  disreputable  for  per- 
sons to  take  what  is  not  theirs,  and  appropriate  it  to  their 
own  use,  why  should  it  not  be  disreputable  to  take  the 
Lord's  day,  and  appropriate  it  to  worldly  purposes  ?  es- 
pecially when  facts,  in  great  variety  and  abundance, 
show,  that  such  dishonesty  toward  God,  tends  to  promote 
dishonesty  toward  men.  Nine-tenths  of  the  convicts 
in  our  State  prisons  are  found  to  have  been  Sabbath 
breakers. 

As  Sabbath-breaking  is  not  only  associated  with  vice, 
but  is  also  in  its  nature  vicious,  why  should  it  not  be 
abandoned  by  all  respectable  men  ? 

Something  like  this  has  already  been  witnessed  in 
many  parts  of  the  country.  On  one  of  our  Rail  Roads, 
the  number  of  passengers  on  the  Sabbath  was  not  one- 
fifth  part  as  great  as  on  the  other  days  of  the  week. 
The  cars  on  that  road  have  now  ceased  to  run  on  the 
Lord's  day.  Soon  after  they  stopped  the  conductor  was 
asked,  **  How  many  men  did  you  carry  through,  the  last 
Sabbath?"  He  said,  "We  started  with  two.  One  of 
them,  however,  got  out  by  the  way  ;  the  other  was  so 
drunk,  that  he  could  not  get  out,  and  we  carried  him 
through." 

Some,  however,  who  claim  to  be  respectable,  continue 
to  desecrate  the  Sabbath  ;  steamboats  and  packets  in  some 
cases  leave  the  wharf;  and  rail  cars  and  stage  coaches 
continue  to  run  on  this  holy  day.  But  the  idea  is  con- 
stantly extending,  not  only  that  it  is  disreputable,  but  also 
that  it  is  dangerous. 

A  respectable  lady,  not  considered  as  pious,  at  a  fash- 
ionable watering  place,  the  last  season,  was  asked  on 
Sabbath  morning,  if  she  would  not  join  a  company  to  take 
an  excursion  on  the  water.  She  promptly  answered,  **  No. 
If  I  should,  I  should  not  expect  to  come  back  alive."  So 
numerous  have  been  the  cases  of  persons  being  drowned 


47 

while  on  pleasure  excursions  on  the  Sabbath,  that  she 
thought  it  not  safe.  Facts  seem  fully  to  justify  such  a 
conclusion.  A  coroner  in  one  of  our  large  cities  stated, 
that  for  nine  years  he  was  Culled  to  make  inquest  upon 
twice  as  many  persons,  upon  an  average,  who  were 
drowned  on  the  Sabbath,  as  upon  all  the  other  days  of 
the  week. 

The  conviction  is  extending,  that  those  steamboats  and 
rail  cars  that  run  on  the  Sabbath  are  less  safe  than  those 
on  which  all  concerned  keep  the  day  holy.  Greater  so- 
briety and  more  conscientious  integrity,  in  those  who  are 
employed,  give  greater  security  to  property  and  life  in  the 
latter,  than  in  the  former.  And  the  more  the  facts  are 
known,  the  greater  is  the  desire  that  the  running  of  pub- 
lic vehicles  and  secular  employments  on  the  divinely 
appointed  day  of  rest  should  be  done  away. 


SEVENTH    REPORT. 


That  men  are  dependent  on  God,  is  proclaimed  by  the 
voice  of  Nature,  of  Scripture,  and  of  Providence.  Of 
course  their  interest  and  their  duty  require  them  to  obey 
him.  The  most  important  of  all  knowledge  is  a  knowl- 
edge of  his  will,  and  the  most  excellent  and  profitable  of 
all  courses,  is  to  obey  it.  What  his  will  is,  he  makes 
known  by  his  works,  his  word,  and  his  ways.  Every  per- 
son, who  is  disposed  and  is  suitably  attentive  to  the  proper 
means,  may  understand  it,  and  with  proper  reliance  on 
him  for  needed  aid,  may  heartily  do  it.  Every  person 
who  does  do  this  will,  in  proportion  to  his  obedience  finds 
it  to  be  profitable,  as  to  real  good,  for  this  life  and  the  life 
to  come.  This  is  especially  the  case  with  regard  to  the 
right  observance  of  those  great  public  institutions,  which 
God  has  established,  the  observance  of  which  is  essential 
to  the  welfare  of  men  on  earth,  and  which  affects  not 
merely  those  who  observe  them,  but  also  their  fellow-men 
of  the  present  and  future  generations. 

Take,  for  instance,  the  institution  of  marriage,  or  the 
conjugal  union  of  one  man  and  one  woman  for  the  pur- 
pose of  promoting  their  mutual  benefit  and  training  up  a 
family  in  the  way  in  which  they  should  go,  and  in  which 
they  may  be  blessings  to  themselves  and  others.  Let  any 
person  learn  the  will  of  God  with  regard  to  this  institution 
and  comply  with  it,  he  will  find  it  to  be  most  eminently 
fitted  to  promote  his  highest  good  and  the  good  of  all  who 
may  feel   his  influence.     But  let  him  cast  contempt  upon 


4d 

this  institution  and  violate  its  sacred  duties,  he  will  find 
that  he  acts  against  his  own  highest  good,  and  becomes 
injurious  to  his  fellow-men.  If  he  continues  this  course, 
things  will  work  against  him,  and  in  the  end  he  will  be 
wretched. 

Take  the  family  institution.  Let  parents  neglect  their 
children,  or  children  disobey,  neglect,  and  dishonor  their 
parents,  and  they  will  find  their  characters  injured,  their 
happiness  diminished,  their  usefulness  prevented,  and  their 
prospects  for  both  worlds  shrouded  in  gloom. 

On  the  other  hand,  let  parents  be  to  their  children  and 
children  to  their  parents  what  God  requires,  and  they  will 
go  in  a  way  of  pleasantness — a  path  of  peace.  Their 
course  as  to  excellence,  usefulness,  and  enjoyment  will  be 
like  the  light  of  the  morning,  growing  brighter  to  the 
perfect  day. 

But  with  regard  to  nothing  do  these  principles  apply 
with  greater  force  than  with  regard  to  the  Sabbath.  This 
is  a  standing  institution,  designed  to  be,  in  all  ages,  a 
public  recognition  of  the  divine  supremacy ,  and  an  enforce- 
ment of  the  rights  of  God  among  the  children  of  men. 
It  is  the  great  institution  for  giving  efficacy  to  Divine 
Laws,  without  the  observance  of  which,  men  will  not 
obey  them.  Hence  the  reason  why  God  established  it  at 
the  creation,  kept  it  himself,  sanctified,  or  set  it  apart,  as 
a  sacred  day,  and  wrote  the  command  to  keep  it  holy,  as 
one  of  the  great  permanent  moral  precepts,  on  a  table  of 
stone  ;  and  why  he  requires  all  men,  to  whom  his  will  is 
known,  in  all  ages,  to  remember  the  Sabbath  day  and 
keep  it  holy.  Hence  also  the  reason  why  he  blesses  those 
who  keep  it,  and  curses  those  who  do  not.  One  class  act 
in  favor  of  his  moral  government,  the  other  class  act 
against  it,  hinder  its  efficacy,  and  increase  the  number 
and  wickedness  of  those  who  rebel  against  it.  In  doing 
this,  they  provoke  his  displeasure  and  draw  down  his 
A  5 


50 

judgments  on  themselves  and  their  fellow-men;  when,  by 
obeying  him,  they  might  secure  his  favor  and  be  blessings 
to  all  around  them.  They  might  exert  an  influence  for 
good  which  would  not  die  with  them  or  with  this  genera- 
tion, but  would  go  down  to  all  future  time. 

The  American  and  Foreign  Sabbath  Union  have 
therefore,  for  several  years,  been  making  special  efforts  to 
induce  their  fellow-men,  in  obedience  to  God,  to  keep  the 
Sabbath  holy.  In  pursuance  of  this  object,  the  Secretary 
of  the  Union  has  visited  twenty-five  of  the  United  States, 
and  traveled  more  than  fifty  thousand  miles ;  addressing 
as  he  had  opportunity  all  classes  of  persons,  and  present- 
ing reasons,  why  as  individuals  and  a  nation,  we  should 
"  remember  the  Sabbath  day  and  keep  it  holy." 

He  has  also  written  and  printed  five  Permanent  Sab- 
bath Documents,  averaging  more  than  sixty  pages  each  ; 
showing  that  the  Sabbath  has  its  foundation  in  the  nature 
of  things;  that  both  the  word  and  the  providence  of  God, 
designate  the  first  day  of  the  week  as  the  Christian  Sab- 
bath ;  and  that  its  sacred  observance  is  essential  to  the 
right  education  of  children ;  showing  also  the  proper 
manner  of  observing  it,  and  giving  the  results  of  more 
than  one  hundred  and  fifty  experiments,  in  various  kinds 
of  employment,  of  breaking  the  Sabbath,  or  of  keeping  it 
holy. 

These  Documents  have  all  been  stereotyped  in  English, 
and  one  or  more  of  them  in  French,  German  and  Spanish. 
Of  the  first,  five  hundred  and  forty-one  thousand  have 
been  printed,  and  five  hundred  and  thirty-two  thousand 
put  in  circulation.  Of  the  others,  taken  together,  six 
hundred  and  ihirty-four  thousand  have  been  printed,  and 
six  hundred  and  seventeen  thousand  circulated;  making, 
of  all  the  numbers  printed,  one  million  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  thousand;  and  circulated,  one  million  one 
hundred  and  forty-nine  thousand  copies. 


51 

Our  object  is,  as  far  as  practicable,  to  put  a  copy,  by 
sale  at  cost,  or  gratuitous  distribution,  of  at  least  one  of 
these  Documents,  into  every  family  ;  especially  in  the  new 
and  destitute  parts  of  our  country ;  and  also,  into  all  fam- 
ilies of  foreign  immigrants  who  can  read,  and  are  dis- 
posed to  receive  it.  Wherever  they  are  read,  they  tend 
powerfully  to  produce  the  conviction,  that  both  duty  and 
interest  require  men  to  remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep 
it  holy  ;  and  most  salutary  changes  are  taking  place  on 
this  subject  in  various  parts  of  our  country. 

About  forty  rail-road  companies  stop  the  running  of 
their  cars  on  that  day,  and  on  about  four  thousand  miles 
of  roads.  The  communities  through  which  they  pass, 
and  whose  right  to  the  stillness  and  quiet  of  the  day  had 
for  years  been  grossly  violated  by  the  screaming  and  rum- 
bling of  cars  in  time  of  public  worship,  are  now  free  from 
the  nuisance,  and  are  permitted  to  enjoy  their  rights  and 
privileges  without  molestation.  No  good  reason  can  be 
given  why  this  should  not  be  the  case,  universally,  through- 
out our  country.  Still,  some  cars  continue  to  run  on  the 
Sabbath,  to  the  great  annoyance  of  the  people  in  the 
places  through  which  they  pass,  in  violation  of  the  rights, 
and  contrary  to  the  expressed  wishes  of  many  of  the 
stockholders,  and  greatly  to  the  moral  injury  of  the 
public. 

It  is  sometimes  said  that  there  is  more  business  on  the 
road  than  can  be  done  in  six  days.  If  this  were  true,  it 
would  be  no  good  reason  for  runnintj  cars  on  the  Sabbath. 
Neither  individuals  nor  companies  have  any  right  to  per- 
form, or  attempt  to  perform,  any  more  business  than  ihey 
can  accomplish  on  six  days  in  a  week.  All  beyond  that 
is  forbidden  by  Jehovah,  except  what  is  required  by  need- 
ful acts  of  mercy,  and  the  proper  discharge  of  the  appro- 
priate duties  of  the  Sabbath.  If  men  attempt  to  perform 
more,  they  violate  the  laws  of  God,  and  subject  themselves 
to  his  curse. 


5% 

It  should  never  be  forgotten,  that  bodies  of  men  are  as 
really  bound  to  obey  the  laws  of  God,  as  individuals,  and 
their  open  violation  of  them  is  more  injurious.  When 
individuals  violate  them,  it  is  on  their  own  responsibility 
merely,  and  has  only  such  influence  as  their  vicious  char- 
acters and  conduct  are  suited  to  give.  But  when  bodies, 
composed  of  all  classes,  violate  them,  the  influence  is 
more  extensive,  and  the  mischief  much  greater.  The 
running  of  rail-cars  on  the  Sabbath  is  giving  sanction  to 
its  public  desecration,  and  openly  setting  at  defiance  the 
will  of  Jehovah.  It  is  undermining  the  efficacy  of  his 
laws,  and  encouraging  the  vicious  to  break  them.  If  one 
class  of  men  may  violate  one  of  the  ten  commandments, 
those  great,  fundamental,  permanent  moral  laws,  engraven 
with  the  finger  of  Jehovah  on  tables  of  stone,  another 
class  may  violate  another,  and  so  on,  till  all  are  disre- 
garded. Thus  an  example  is  set  which  tends  powerfully 
to  universal  profligacy,  and  to  the  destruction  of  that  vir- 
tue on  which  all  our  social,  civil,  and  religious  institutions 
depend.  Whether  we  are  to  continue  to  be  in  future  a 
Sabbath-keeping-,  virtuous,  free  and  happy  people,  and 
whether  our  blessings  are  to  go  down  to  future  generations, 
will  depend  much,  very  much  upon  the  question,  whether 
our  numerous  rail-roads  are  to  be  Sabbath-keeping,  or 
Sabbath-breaking  concerns. 

That  rail-roads  are  to  be  the  principal  modes  of  con- 
veyance on  all  our  great  thoroughfares,  is  now  settled  ; 
and  through  this  country  will  probably  be  the  great  com- 
mercial highway  of  the  world.  From  morning  to  evening, 
and  from  evening  to  morning,  one  incessant  and  mighty 
rush  of  human  invention,  activity  and  enterprise  will,  year 
after  year,  sweep  from  ocean  to  ocean,  through  the  six 
working  days  of  the  week.  If  then,  at  the  hidding  of 
Jehovah,  the  Giver  and  Preserver  of  all  good,  the  fire  of 
our  engines  is  extinguished,  and  our  millions  of  wheels 


53 

cease  to  roll ;  if  the  rising  Sabbath  sun,  unobscured  by 
the  smoke  of  our  fires,  casts  his  cheering  rays  on  every 
iron  road,  and,  as  he  passes  over  our  widely  extended  and 
extending  country,  sees  in  our  cities,  towns,  and  villages, 
the  whole  people  congregating  for  prayer,  thanksgiving 
and  praise,  then  shall  our  peace  be  as  a  river,  and  our 
righteousness  as  the  waves  of  the  sea.  The  difference 
between  the  Sabbath  and  other  days  will  be  seen  and  felt 
by  every  child  in  our  nation,  and  they  will  grow  up  in- 
stinctively exclaiming  on  its  approach, — This  is  the  day 
which  the  Lord  hath  made,  we  will  rejoice  and  be  glad  in 
it.  Let  us  come  before  his  presence  with  thanksgiving, 
and  make  a  joyful  noise  unto  him  with  psalms.  O  come, 
let  us  worship  and  bow  down ;  let  us  kneel  before  the 
Lord  our  Maker,  for  he  is  our  God  and  we  are  the  sheep 
of  his  pasture  and  the  people  of  his  hand.  Foreigners, 
as  they  land  on  our  shores  and  contrast  our  condition  with 
that  of  countries  which  have  no  Sabbath,  will  exclaim, — 
Happy  is  the  people  that  is  in  such  a  case,  yea,  blessed  is 
the  people  whose  God  is  Jehovah.  The  pecuniary  and 
political  benefits  of  rail-roads  will  then  be  eclipsed  by  their 
moral  and  spiritual  blessings,  as  the  splendors  of  the 
moon  are  eclipsed  by  those  of  the  sun  at  noon-day. 

But  if  our  rail-roads  are  to  be  made  thoroughfares  of 
contempt  for  the  institutions  of  Jehovah,  and  from  the 
morning  to  the  evening  of  his  day,  to  belch  forth  their 
defiance  of  him  through  the  length  and  breadth  of  our 
land,  then  had  our  country  better  have  been  without  them. 
Their  pecuniary  and  political  benefits  will  be  as  a  drop  to 
the  ocean,  compared  with  the  moral  and  spiritual  mis- 
chiefs which  they  will  entail  on  the  present  and  coming 
generations. 

We  are  now  making  a  grand  experiment,  not  merely 
for  our  mighty  continent,  but  for  the  world,  whether  men 
can  successfully  govern  themselves,   whether  the  gospel, 


64 

the  glorious  gospel  of  the  ever  blessed  God,  can  sustain 
itself,  prevail  and  triumph,  unsupported  by  the  civil  arm, 
and  unaided  except  by  its  friends  and  its  Author;  and 
whether  thus  unaided,  it  can  secure  that  degree  of  knowl- 
edge and  virtue  among  the  people  which  is  essential  to 
the  success  of  such  a  mighty  undertaking.  It  is  not  more 
certain  that  the  laws  of  nature  will  hold  on  their  way,  that 
sun  and  moon  will  rise  and  set,  and  seed-time  and  harvest 
follow  in  succession,  than  it  is,  that,  without  the  Sabbath, 
this  great  experiment  will  fail.  Rail-road  corporations, 
which  continue  their  operations  on  this  sacred  day,  are 
exerting  a  mighty  influence  towards  its  failure,  in  weaken- 
ing the  bonds  of  moral  obligation,  lessening  the  efficacy 
of  laws,  human  and  divine,  multiplying  the  number  of 
criminals,  and  debasing  the  community.  Is  this  right? 
Will  it  in  the  end  promote  their  benefit,  or  that  of  their 
children,  thus  to  dishonor  their  Maker,  and  sacrifice  such 
mighty  interests  for  the  sake  of  temporary  pecuniary 
gain  ?  Ail  true  history  of  the  past,  and  all  just  anticipa- 
tions of  the  future,  the  word  of  God  and  the  dispensations 
of  his  providence,  answer.  No. 

But  it  is  said,  individuals  wish  to  travel  on  that  day, 
and  rail-road  corporations  must  accommodate  them. 
This  is  not  true.  If  individuals  will  travel  on  the  Sabbath, 
in  defiance  of  laws,  human  and  divine,  no  considerations 
of  truth,  duty,  or  interest,  require  that  others  should  aid 
them.  Let  them,  in  this  vicious  work,  provide  accom- 
modations for  themselves.  Let  not  the  Christian,  the  pa- 
triotic, or  the  humane,  assist  them  in  thus  injuring  them- 
selves, dishonoring  their  Maker,  and  wronging  their  fel- 
low-men. Let  them  not  connive  at  it,  or  in  any  way  en- 
courage it.  On  the  other  hand,  let  them  by  kind  remon- 
strance and  persuasion,  by  the  universal  diffusion  of  in- 
formation, by  correct  example,  and  by  all  other  suitable 
means,  do  what  they  can  to  induce  men  of  all  descriptions, 


55 

for  their  own  good,  for  the  honor  of  God,  and  for  the  ben- 
efit of  mankind,  to  abstain  from  all  desecration  of  this 
holy  day. 

But  it  is  said,  it  is  sometimes  needful  to  travel  on  the 
Sabbath.  On  those  occasions  let  the  individuals  who,  by 
duty  to  God  or  man,  are  called  to  travel  on  the  Sabbath, 
furnish  their  own  conveyance.  Though  in  some  cases  it 
might  be  a  convenience  to  go  in  a  public  conveyance,  yet 
the  evils  to  the  community  of  running  rail-cars  on  the 
Sabbath,  are  unspeakably  greater  than  ihe  evils  to  individ- 
uals from  not  running  them  on  that  sacred  day.  It  is 
morally  wrong  permanently  to  injure  the  public,  fur  the 
sake  of  temporary  convenience  or  benefit  to  a  few  indi- 
viduals. 

But  it  is  said,  the  mails  must  go  on  the  Sabbath.  This 
is  a  great  mistake.  There  is  no  necessity,  on  the  part  of 
the  government,  or  of  individuals,  that  mails  should  run 
on  the  Sabbath.  Let  the  community  cease  to  travel  on 
that  day,  and  the  mails  may  every  where  be  stopped.  In 
a  written  declaration  from  the  late  Postmaster  General,  he 
says, — ^' I  should  be  gratijied  to  see  the  transmission  of 
the  mails,  as  well  as  every  other  species  of  labor,  suspended 
on  the  Sabbath.  When  proprietors  of  conveyances  are 
disposed  to  withdraw  the  means  of  conveyance  on  that 
day,  and  there  is  no  likelihood  of  others  being  substituted 
so  as  to  give  facilities  to  a  few,  to  the  disadvantage  and 
injury  of  the  many,  I  take  pleasure  in  acceding  to  the  ar- 
rangements, so  far  as  the  mails  are  concerned,  as  has  lately 
been  done  upon  the  lines  of  rail-road  between  Albany  and 
Buffalo,  following  the  example  set  by  the  New  York  and 
Boston,  and  the  Boston  and  Albany  lines." 

The  present  Post  Master  General  coincides  in  the 
above-mentioned  views,  and  is  equally  desirous  that  the 
carrying  of  the  mails  on  the  Sabbath  should  be  discon- 
tinued throughout  the  United  States.     And   wherever  the 


56 

public  traveling  of  the  country  shall  stop,  the  mails  may 
cease  to  run. 

The  running  of  more  than  eighty  thousand  miles  of 
Sabbath-breaking  mails,  have,  within  a  few  years,  been 
stopped,  and  a  saving  thus  been  made  to  the  Post-office 
department,  of  more  than  sixty  thousand  dollars  a  year. 
The  people  appear  to  be  well  pleased  with  this  change, 
and  increasing  numbers  are  desirous  that  the  running  of 
the  mails  on  the  Sabbath,  and  all  secular  business,  should 
universally  cease. 


^ 


ADDRESS 

OF    THE 

NATIONAL    SABBATH    CONVENTION 

TO    THE 

PEOPLE    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES. 


The  Convention  of  delegates  assembled  in  Baltimore  from  va- 
rious parts  of  the  Union,  to  consult  on  the  means  of  promoting  a 
more  general  observance  of  the  Christian  Sabbath,  would  respect- 
fully solicit  the  attention  of  their  fellow-citizens  to  the  subject  of 
their  deliberations.  Were  an  apology  necessary  for  an  appeal  so 
wide  as  this  Address  contemplates,  it  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the 
object  concerns  all  —  whether  they  dwell  in  the  crowded  city  or 
the  scattered  hamlet,  m  the  palaces  of  the  rich  or  the  cottages  of 
the  poor.  They  believe  that  the  results  of  the  decision  which  the 
nation  shall  maturely  form  as  to  the  claims  of  this  institution  will 
reach  far  onward  in  its  history,  and  that  we  are  dealing  with  the 
elements  of  the  future  weal  or  woe  of  the  hundreds  of  millions  who 
are  to  inhabit  this  land  when  we  and  ours  will  be  remembered  only 
by  tlie  healthful  or  baneful  influences  we  have  exerted  upon  this 
forming  period  of  our  career. 

That  our  means  of  safety  are  as  peculiar  as  our  perils,  is  an  ad- 
mitted truism.  We  have  parted  with  many  of  the  prescriptive 
safeguards  of  otlier  countries.  The  popular  ignorance,  upon  which 
the  monarchies  of  the  old  world  have  so  greatly  relied  for  safety, 
we  deprecate  as  our  danger.  The  elevation  of  the  masses  in  intelli- 
gence, which  they  fear,  is  our  hope.  They  are  building  citadels 
of  defence  from  their  own  people.  We  are  seeking  to  awaken  in 
ours  a  higher  and  higher  estimate  of  their  power  and  their  rights. 
Their  restraints  from  violence  are  chiefly  external  force.  Ours  are 
the  love  of  order,  the  sense  of  justice,  the  power  of  conscience, 
and  the  fear  of  God.  Such  are  our  trusts :  if  they  fail  us,  all  is 
lost     Our  mistake  is  fatal,  and  there  is  no  remedy. 

It  is  with  reference  to  considerations  like  these  that  we  desire 
to  fix  the  attention  of  our  fellow-citizens  upon  the  Sabbath,  as  a 
moral  safeguard  tendered  to  us  by  our  beneficent  Creator  for  just 
such  exigencies  as  ours ;  and,  els  nations  are  what  individuals  are, 
tendered  to  us  as  a  nation,  to  each  of  us  as  individuals,  with  all  its 
blessed  influences  upon  the  life  that  is,  and  the  never-ending  life  to 
come.  Were  it  a  human  device,  we  might  well  fear  lest  evil  should 
c 


6S 

be  mingled  with  its  good,  and  could  justly  question  its  claims  upon 
our  unlimited  confidence.  But  it  is  a  law  of  God,  coeval  with 
creation.  It  is  one  of  the  selected  few,  the  ten  commandments, 
that  brief  but  comprehensive  expression  of  his  will.  Among  these 
it  stands ;  and  we  may  not  say  that  it  is  secondary  in  importance 
or  obligation  to  any.  For  aught  we  know,  it  may  be  the  very  key- 
stone of  the  arch. 

This  should  be  enough.  There  is  no  higher  sanction  our  reason 
can  ask  or  conceive. 

But  were  there  no  such  revelation,  and  were  we  compelled  to 
trace  back  from  effects  to  causes,  so  manifold  are  the  Sabbath's 
blessings,  so  complete  its  adaptation  to  our  physical,  social,  and 
moral  necessities,  we  could  not  fail  to  refer  its  origin  to  Him  who 
made  man,  and  who  knew  his  wants  as  his  Creator  alone  could 
know  them.  That  it  was  made  for  man,  as  man,  is  proved  by  all 
its  bearings  upon  all  his  wants. 

As  a  period  of  rest,  after  six  days'  continuous  toil,  it  is  indispen- 
sable to  the  laborer.  Without  this  gracious  interval,  his  health  and 
vigor  prematurely  decay  as  certainly,  although  not  as  speedily,  as 
if  debarred  from  the  refreshment  of  sleep ;  and  health  and  vigor 
are  the  poor  man's  capital.  The  statistics,  now  so  greatly  accumu- 
lated that  we  cease  to  gather  them,  showing  the  fearful  waste  ol 
life  in  those  employments  which  know  no  such  suspension,  are  full 
of  warning  and  instruction.  Sad  indeed  is  the  lot  of  the  laborer 
witliout  this  jubilee  of  the  week  to  recruit  his  exhausted  energies  ; 
when  he  may  wipe  the  sweat  from  his  brow,  and  lift  up  his  body, 
and  lift  up  his  spirit,  alike  bowed  down  by  daily  toil. 

Nor  is  this  interval  of  repose,  as  a  law  of  our  physical  nature, 
less  necessary  to  intellectual  occupations.  The  mind  must  be  sta- 
tedly unladen  of  its  cares,  as  the  body  of  its  burdens,  or  a  similar 
penalty  must  be  endured.  The  ordinary  effects  of  systematic  vio- 
lations of  the  Lord's  day,  by  men  of  business  or  professional  men, 
are  less  clearness  of  perception  and  power  of  discrimination,  and 
less  soundness  of  judgment,  and,  generally,  a  diminution  of  intel- 
lectual vigor,  often  followed  by  a  sudden  breaking  down  of  tlie 
over-tasked  mental  faculties  ;  in  other  instances  tlie  result  is  lunacy 
or  self-murder.  In  short,  moral  and  religious  considerations  apart, 
nothing  is  gained  by  a  violation  of  the  divine  command  —  a  truth 
often  learned  too  late.  If  a  man  would  make  the  most  of  himself 
in  all  respects,  he  will  do  well  to  remember  the  Sabbath  day,  to 
keep  it  holy. 

But  the  demands  of  our  moral  and  social  nature  for  the  blessings 
of  a  sanctified  Sabbath  are  still  more  imperative,  and  take  hold  of 
higher  results.  We  cannot  dispense  with  this  pause  from  the  pur- 
suit of  pleasure,  gain,  or  distinction ;  we  need  it  to  moderate  our 
passions,  to  chasten  our  desires,  to  purify  our  motives,  to  elevate 
our  aims,  and  to  seek  the  salvation  of  our  souls.  It  is  here  the 
Sabbath  chiefly  discloses  the  divinity  of  its  origin  and  the  benevo- 
lence of  its  purpose.     It  speaks  in  God's  name  to  the  tide  of  world- 


59 

liness,  "Thus  far  shalt  thou  come,  but  no  farther;"  it  communes 
with  man  of  eternal  retributions,  points  his  burdened  conscience 
to  the  only  Savior,  and  to  that  heaven  whose  endless  felicity  none 
shall  know  but  the  pure  in  heart  and  the  pure  in  life.  In  its  legiti- 
mate observance,  it  is  a  season  of  hushed  passions  and  of  tranquil 
enjoyment,  disposing  the  heart  to  kindness  and  good-will,  —  a 
season  for  the  affectionate  instruction  of  the  young  in  their  duties 
to  God  and  their  fellow-beings,  for  the  privileges  of  private  and 
social  worship,  attendance  upon  the  instructions  of  an  intelligent 
Christian  ministry,  and  of  devoutly  reading  the  inspired  words  of 
truth  and  love  in  the  holy  volume.  The  subjects  of  thought  and 
conversation  are  pure  and  elevating  in  their  nature ;  and  it  would 
be  strange,  indeed,  if  the  Sabbath  sun,  as  it  sets  upon  a  family  or 
community  who  thus  had  hallowed  its  hours  of  light,  did  not  leave 
them  happier,  wiser,  and  better  than  when  it  rose.  Can  any  doubt 
the  effects  of  a  day  thus  spent  on  mental  and  moral  character,  or 
the  power  of  that  restraint  which  it  throws  over  the  conduct .'' 
Nearly  three  entire  years,  or  one  seventh  of  the  life  of  every  young 
man,  who  leaves  his  home  on  reaching  the  age  of  manhood,  will 
iiave  been  spent  under  such  influences.  These  are  not  the  fami- 
lies, nor  these  the  individuals,  who  are  nuisances  to  society.  It  is 
not  he  who  fears  God,  and  keeps  his  Sabbath,  that  robs  his  neighbor 
or  murders  him ;  nor  is  his  place  among  the  debased  of  his  species 
in  any  respect,  or  any  where  —  least  of  all  here.  You  cannot  keep 
a  man  ignorant  or  brutish  in  this  country,  if  you  give  him  his  Sab- 
bath, and  he  observes  it  according  to  his  Maker's  Avill.  He  will 
be  raised  by  its  concentrated  influences,  and  will  understand  and 
value  his  civil  and  political  rights,  and  will  respect  the  rights  of 
others.  The  wily  demagogue  must  seek  somewhere  else  his  tool 
or  his  victim. 

With  a  population  thus  nurtured,  we  all  feel  that  our  laws  would 
be  obeyed,  and  our  liberties  as  a  nation  safe  ;  but  there  can  be  no 
such  without  the  Sabbath  and  its  appropriate  sanctification,  and 
there  is  no  such  where  it  is  unknown  and  unhonored.  We  beseech 
our  fellow-citizens  maturely  to  consider  this  conclusion,  and  the 
facts  which,  as  we  have  seen,  have  inevitably  involved  it 

If  these  are  the  happy  issues  of  obedience  to  this  wise  and  gra- 
cious command  of  our  Creator,  we  are  warned  by  his  Avord  and 
awful  providences  that  its  profanation  is  proportionally  dangerous. 
The  purest  and  most  healthful  fountain,  if  poison  be  cast  into  its 
waters,  sends  forth  only  streams  of  death ;  and  so  will  desecrated 
and  polluted  Sabbaths  work  our  more  speedy  and  dreadful  ruin. 
Our  principle  of  self-government  as  a  people  must  be  abandoned, 
and  we  and  our  children  must  pass  under  the  yoke  of  despotism. 

There  is  much  to  encourage  us.  The  Sabbath,  like  the  Bible, 
is  to  a  great  extent  imbedded  in  our  affections,  our  most  cherished 
associations,  and  in  our  social  and  civil  usages.  Almost  univer- 
sally the  places  of  business  and  of  public  amusement  are  closed ; 
and,  as  a  general  fact,  and  in  a  growing  degree,  there  is  a  cessation 


60 

from  open  labor ;  and  those  from  whom  this  privilege  is  yet  with- 
held—  for  withheld  it  is  in  instances  fearfully  nmnerous  —  have 
begun  to  feel  it  the  sorest  evil  of  their  poverty  that  tliey  cannot  ob- 
tain tliat,  even  as  a  boon,  which  is  theirs  by  inalienable  birthright 
—  by  the  legacy  of  their  fathers  and  the  gift  of  God.  Of  the 
strength  of  this  desire  for  deliverance  there  are  the  most  convincing 
proofs  before  the  Convention ;  and  among  the  motives  which  have 
assembled  us  here,  many  of  us  from  distant  homes,  were  the  affect- 
ing appeals  of  this  very  class  of  our  proscribed  fellow-citizens  for 
the  help  which  public  opinion  and  public  sympatliy  may  bring  to 
their  relief.  Shall  it  be  denied  ?  and  especially  shall  the  sought- 
for  aid  be  witliheld  by  those  who  have  the  power  to  grant  it ;  and 
that  for  the  sake  of  gains  uncertain  at  the  best,  but  wliich,  if  real- 
ized, will  bring  no  real  good,  and  which  may  yet  ruffle  and  disturb 
the  pillow  of  death  ? 

In  conclusion,  we  would  ask  of  our  fellow-citizens  their  influ- 
ence, their  kind  persuasions,  and,  above  all,  their  blameless  example, 
in  aid  of  this  cause,  to  the  fuitherance  of  which  so  many  and  such 
various  considerations  prompt  us.  The  world  has  never  witnessed 
the  spectacle  of  a  universal  obedience  to  the  Sabbath  in  any 
country ;  and  its  full  power  to  bless  a  nation  is  yet  unrevealed.  In 
no  other  land  can  the  trial  be  made  with  such  encouragements  as 
in  this,  or  with  such  power  of  example  to  the  world ;  for,  if  suc- 
cessful here,  it  will  be  as  the  voluntary  decision  of  a  tree  people. 

It  was  the  remark  of  one  of  the  ablest  and  purest  of  those  for- 
eigners who  came  to  our  aid  in  the  days  of  revolutionary  peril, 
and  who  made  his  home,  and  recently  his  grave,  among  us,  —  the 
late  venerable  Duponceau,  of  Philadelphia,  —  that  of  all  we  claimed 
as  characteristic,  our  observance  of  the  Sabbath  is  the  only  one 
truly  national  and  American ;  and  for  this  cause,  if  for  no  otlier,  he 
trusted  it  would  never  lose  its  hold  on  our  affections  and  patriotism. 
It  was  a  noble  thought,  and  may  well  mingle  with  higher  and  nobler 
motives  to  stimulate  our  efforts  and  encourage  our  hopes.  And  wliile 
it  is  the  glory  so  eagerly  coveted  by  other  nations  that  they  may  be 
preeminent  in  conquests  and  extended  rule,  let  us  gladly  accept  it 
as  our  distinction,  and  wear  it  as  the  fairest  of  all  tliat  grace  our 
escutcheon,  that  we  preeminently  honor  tlie  Sabbath  and  the  Sab- 
bath's Lord. 

In  behalf  of  the  Convention, 

JOHN  Q.  ADAMS,  President, 

Harmar  Denny,  Secretary. 


61 


ADDRESS 


NATIONAL   SABBATH   CONVENTION 


CANAL    COMMISSIONERS. 


Gentlemen  :  Among  the  numerous  manifestations  of  wis- 
dom and  goodness,  which  the  Divine  Being  has  made  to  the 
human  family,  is  his  arrangement,  after  six  days  of  labor  and 
attention  to  secular  concerns  for  one  day  of  rest,  and  of  spe- 
cial devotion  to  the  worship  of  God  and  the  promotion  of  the 
spiritual  good  of  men.  And  so  important  in  his  own  estima- 
tion was  this  arrangement,  that  he  evidently  had  his  eye  upon 
it  in  the  creation  of  the  world,  and  in  the  Sabbath  which  he 
observed  at  the  close  of  that  work,  when  the  morning  stars 
sang  together  and  all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy.  This 
arrangement  was  evidently  "  made  for  man,"  and  an  intelli- 
gent and  conscientious  regard  to  it  has  in  all  ages  been  found 
to  be  essential  to  his  highest  good.  The  rest  which  it  contem- 
plates is  required  by  his  physical  system ;  and  the  moral  in- 
fluence which  it  imparts  is  no  less  needful  to  the  health  of  his 
soul.  These  truths,  revealed  with  great  clearness  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  abundantly  illustrated  in  the  course  of  divine 
Providence,  are  receiving  extensively-increasing  attention,  and 
a  consideration  of  their  high  importance  is  extending  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  our  country.  The  consequence  is,  a  decrease,  in 
many  places,  of  the  number  who  engage  in  secular  business 
or  travelling  for  amusement  on  the  Sabbath,  and  an  increase  of 
those  who  enjoy  the  privileges  and  engage  in  the  appropriate 
duties  of  that  day.  Vessels  and  steamboats  less  frequently 
leave  the  harbor.  The  number  who  go  to  the  post-office  on 
the  Sabbath  is  diminishing.     On  more  than  a  thousand  milea 

n  * 


6^ 

of  railroad  the  cars  do  not  run  on  the  Sabbath.  In  many 
cases  the  mails  are  not  transported,  and  the  locks  on  canals 
are  not  opened.  And  in  various  kinds  of  business,  in  which 
it  has  been  contended  that  it  was  necessary  to  desecrate  the 
Sabbath,  it  has  been  found  by  experiment  that  such  business 
can  be  carried  on  to  even  better  advantage  by  being  confined 
to  six  days  in  a  week.  And  we  have  a  settled  and  strong  con- 
viction, that,  if  this  should  be  the  case  with  all  kinds  of  busi- 
ness, the  highest  and  best  interests  of  all  concerned  would  be 
promoted.  Nor  do  we  see  any  good  reasons  why  this  should 
not  be  the  case  ;  nor  why  the  business  on  our  canals  should 
be,  as  it  sometimes  has  been,  an  exception.  That  large  and 
interesting  class  of  our  fellow-citizens  who  are  called  to  labor 
on  our  inland  waters  need,  physically  and  morally,  as  much 
as  others,  the  rest  and  the  privileges  of  the  Sabbath  ;  they 
have  an  equal  interest  in  them  and  an  equal  right  to  enjoy 
them.  Many  of  them  ardently  desire  to  enjoy  these  blessings, 
and  in  one  state  more  than  1200  captains  of  canal  boats  unit- 
ed in  a  petition  to  the  Canal  Commissioners  not  to  open  the 
locks,  or  require  their  agent  to  perform  official  business  on 
that  day.  This  would  prevent  owners  of  boats  and  goods  from 
urging  those  who  are  employed  to  desecrate  the  Sabbath,  and 
would  greatly  lessen  their  temptation  to  do  it.  It  would  re- 
move the  oflficial  sanction  which,  by  the  opening  of  the  locks, 
is  given  to  that  vice,  and  relieve  the  public  agents  from  the 
guilt  of  aiding  and  abetting  in  promoting  it.  The  consequence 
would  be,  as  it  has  been  on  those  canals  where  the  experi- 
ment has  been  tried,  the  health  and  the  character  of  those  em- 
ployed would  be  improved  ;  business  would  be  transacted 
with  greater  facility  ;  nor  would  the  amount,  on  the  whole,  be 
diminished.  The  Canal  Committee,  composed  of  distinguished 
senators,  to  whom  the  petition  above  referred  to  was  commit- 
ted in  the  state  of  New  York,  after  long  and  careful  consider- 
ation of  the  whole  subject,  say,  in  their  report,  the  boatmen 
who  send  up  their  petitions  express  their  firm  conviction  that 
as  much  merchandise  and  produce  could  be  transported  on  the 
canals  during  the  season  of  navigation,  with  the  observance  of 
the  Sabbath,  as  there  can  be  by  violating  that  day.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  the  boatmen  take  a  correct  view  of  the 
subject.  Other  things  being  equal,  the  committee  believe 
that  both  man  and  beast  can  perform  more  labor,  by  resting 
one  day  in  seven,  than  by  constant  employment  every  day  in 
the  week. 


63 

"The  Sabbath  was  emphatically  'made  for  maw,'  and, 
when  viewed  in  the  light  of  political  economy^  can  never  be 
sufficiently  prized. 

"  It  is  admitted  by  all,  that  intelligence  and  virtue  constitute 
the  only  sure  foundation  of  republican  institutions.  If  the 
people  are  inteUigent  and  virtuous,  the  institutions  of  our  coun- 
try are  safe.  It  is  believed  that  the  Sabbath,  duly  observed, 
in  the  repeated  instructions  which  it  brings  to  the  population  of 
a  nation,  in  its  calling  the  attention  of  all  to  the  duty  they 
owe  to  their  Creator,  in  reminding  them  of  their  accountability 
beyond  the  grave,  and  thus  maintaining  and  invigorating  the 
conscience,  lies  at  the  foundation  of  our  national  happiness 
and  prosperity. 

"  It  is  a  well-known  fact,  in  the  history  of  the  vicious  and 
depraved,  that  the  violation  of  the  Sabbath  is  generally  the 
first  step  in  the  series  of  wickedness  and  crime,  which  led  them 
to  their  final  ruin.  Nor  is  there  any  thing  mysterious  in  the 
blighting  influence  of  Sabbath  desecration  on  the  human  char- 
acter. The  want  of  that  moral  and  religious  culture  which 
the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  secures,  the  voice  of  conscience 
hushed  by  its  repeated  violations,  leaves  the  unhappy  individ- 
ual without  any  saving  moral  principle  to  warn  or  protect  him, 
and,  like  a  vessel  without  a  rudder,  upon  the  stormy  ocean, 
he  is  sure  to  wreck  his  happiness  and  his  character. 

"  Of  1232  convicts,  admitted  to  the  Auburn  State  Prison, 
previously  to  1838,447  had  been  watermen  ;  and  of  the  whole 
number,  1232,  only  26  had  been  in  the  habit  of  keeping  the 
Sabbath. 

"  Of  1450,  admitted  to  the  prison    previously  to  the  year 

1839,  o63  had  been  watermen,  and  27  only  had  kept  the 
Sabbath. 

"  Of  1653,  admitted  to  the  prison  previously  to  the  year 

1840,  660  had  been  watermen  ;  and  of  203  admitted  to  the 
prison  in  one  year,  97  had  been  watermen,  and  only  2  had 
kept  the  Sabbath. 

"  One  way  to  promote  the  religious  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath, is  for  the  canal  officers,  and  all  who  employ  others  to  do 
business  on  the  canals,  to  suspend  their  secular  business,  and 
religiously  observe  the  day  themselves.  Let  the  distinguished 
classes  of  society  set  an  example  of  keeping  the  Sabbath,  and 
others  may  be  expected  to  follow.  And  let  employers  in  no 
case  unnecessarily  deprive  those  whom  they  employ  of  the 
rest  and  privileges  which  God  has   provided   for   them,  and 


64 

the  enjoyment  of  which  would  promote  the  mutual  good  of 
all. 

"  The  state  officers  violate  the  laws  of  the  state,  in  open- 
ing the  locks  and  transacting  public  business  on  Sunday,  and 
the  committee  believe  that  the  interests  of  the  state,  or  the 
prosperity  of  individuals,  can  never  be  advanced  by  the  viola- 
tion of  human  or  divine  laws. 

"  The  policy  which  seeks  to  gain  hy  the  violation  of  laws 
which  infinite  wisdom  and  goodness  have  established,  is  selfish, 
short-sighted,  and  defeats  its  own  end^ 

Such  are  the  sentiments  expressed  by  distinguished  sena- 
tors, after  careful  inquiry  and  patient  investigation,  and  who 
had  a  good  opportunity  to  become  acquainted  with  the  facts 
connected  with  the  desecration  of  the  Sabbath  by  the  opening 
of  locks  and  the  performance  of  official  and  secular  business 
on  canals. 

And  we  have  no  doubt  that  they  are  equally  in  accordance 
with  sound  philosophy  and  correct  political  economy,  as  they 
are  with  good  morals  and  true  religion. 

And  we  would  most  respectfully  and  earnestly  commend 
them  to  the  careful  perusal  and  profound  consideration  of  all 
who  are  thus  concerned,  in  opposition  to  laws  human  and  di- 
vine, in  such  violations  of  the  Lord's  day.  And  we  cannot  but 
hope  that  the  time  may  soon  come  when  their  own  experience 
shall  unite  with  the  experience  of  increasing  numbers  in  all  de- 
partments, in  testifying  that  the  Sabbath  was  indeed  made  for 
man,  and  that  in  the  keeping  of  it  in  accordance  with  the  will 
of  the  Lord  of  the  Sabbath,  and  of  those  laws,  natural  and  moral, 
which  he  has  established,  there  is  truly  great  reward. 


Baltimore,  November  28,  1844. 


$$ 


ADDRESS 


NATIONAL  SABBATH  CONVENTION 


DIRECTORS  OF  RAIL  ROADS. 


Gentlemen  :  The  position  which  you  occupy  gives  you 
peculiar  facilities  for  exerting  great  and  extensive  influence 
among  men.  All  classes,  and  especially  the  young,  must  be 
deeply  affected  by  the  course  which  you  take  with  regard  to 
the  running  of  cars  on  the  Sabbath.  It  is  on  this  account  that 
we  take  the  liberty  to  address  you,  and  respectfully  request 
your  attention  to  a  few  considerations  with  regard  to  this 
subject. 

In  a  free  country,  where  all  classes  of  citizens  enjoy  the 
blessings  of  social,  civil,  and  religious  liberty,  where  no  stand- 
ing armies  support  the  government  or  give  efficacy  to  law,  it 
is  of  the  highest  importance  that  moral  principle  should  be  uni- 
versal, and  its  salutary  influences  be  felt  by  all  classes  of  peo- 
ple. In  order  to  this,  they  must  understand  and  respect  the 
laws  of  God,  especially  with  regard  to  those  great  fundamen- 
tal institutions  which  were  "  made  for  man,''''  and  the  obser- 
vance of  which  is  essential  to  the  welfare  of  civil  society. 
One  of  these  institutions  is  that  of  the  Sabbath. 

This  institution,  established  at  the  creation,  was  designed  to 
keep  alive  the  knowledge  and  worship  of  Jehovah,  and  thus  to 
give  efficacy  to  his  moral  government  among  men.  Without 
this,  that  knowledge  and  virtue  which  are  essential  to  the  pu- 
rity and  permanence  of  free  institutions  cannot  exist.  And 
whether  we,  as  a  people,  shall  be  successful  in  perpetuating 
our  institutions,  will  depend  in  no  small  degree  upon  the  fact, 
whether  we  shall  or  shall  not  regard  the  Christian  Sabbath. 


66 


And  this  will  be  deeply  affected  by  the  course  which  shall  be 
pursued  with  regard  to  the  running  of  rail-cars  and  other 
public  vehicles  on  that  day. 

The  fathers  of  our  country,  who  were  honored  as  the  in- 
struments of  establishing  our  institutions,  were  men  who  loved 
the  Sabbath,  and  who  regarded  its  observance  as  one  of  the 
bulwarks  of  national  freedom.  And  to  this  we  owe  no  small 
part  of  the  blessings  which  we  enjoy.  And  since  those, 
through  whose  sacrifices  and  labors  we  have  received  them, 
have  gone  to  their  rest,  patriotism,  no  less  than  piety,  requires 
that  we  should,  in  this,  imitate  their  example. 

Among  the  reasons  why  the  running  of  rail-cars,  as  well  as 
other  kinds  of  secular  business,  should  be  confined  to  six  days, 
are  the  following,  viz.  :  — 

I.  It  is  manifestly  the  will  of  God,  that  all  men  should  ob- 
serve the  Sabbath.  And  as  they  are  dependent  on  him  for 
the  blessings  which  they  enjoy,  their  interest,  as  well  as  their 
duty,  requires  that  they  should  do  it. 

II.  As  but  six  days  in  the  week  have  been  made  for  secu- 
lar business,  and  no  more  have  ever  been  given  to  men  for 
that  purpose,  they  have  no  right  to  any  more.  Only  six  days 
belong  to  men  for  secular  business,  and  to  take  more  for  that 
purpose  is  not  honest. 

III.  To  employ  seven  days  in  a  week  in  secular  business  is 
a  violation,  not  only  of  a  law  which  was  written  by  Jehovah  on 
a  table  of  stone,  but  of  a  law  which  he  has  impressed  upon 
the  nature  of  both  man  and  beast.  That  law  requires,  that 
those  that  have  been  employed  six  days  in  a  week  should  rest 
on  the  seventh  :  if  they  do  not,  they  impair  their  heahh,  di- 
minish their  strength,  and  shorten  their  lives. 

IV.  Men  who  labor  seven  days  in  a  week  are  more  reck- 
less of  property,  character,  and  life,  than  those  who  labor  but 
six,  and  enjoy  the  rest  and  privileges  of  the  Sabbath.  They 
are  more  exposed  to  disasters  and  crimes.  The  consequence 
is,  travellers  are  more  exposed  to  the  loss  of  property  and  life 
on  Sabbath-breaking  rail  roads  than  they  need  be,  and  more 
exposed  than  they  would  be,  should  the  running  be  confined 
to  six  days,  and  all  concerned  be  permitted  to  enjoy  the  rest 
and  privileges  of  the  Sabbath. 

V.  The  running  of  the  cars  on  the  Sabbath  is  a  violation  of 
the  rights  of  the  people.  They  have  a  right  not  only  to  keep 
the  Sabbath,  but  to  be  undisturbed  by  others.  The  running 
of  the  cars  through  villages,  and  by  places  of  public  worship, 


67  - 

and  often  in  time  of  service,  is  a  gross  violation  of  the  r'ghts 

of  the  citizens  to  the  stillness  and  quiet  of  that  day. 

VI.  The  running  of  the  cars  on  the  Sabbath  is  wholly  un- 
necessary. All  the  secular  business  which  it  is  needful  or 
proper  for  men  to  perform,  can  be  accomplished  in  six  days. 
And  there  is  no  good  reason  why  the  cars  should  run  on  the 
Sabbath.  On  more  than  700  miles  of  our  rail  roads,  they  are 
confined  to  six  days  in  the  week.  Many  of  them  are  among 
the  greatest  thoroughfares,  on  which  the  most  business  is  done, 
and,  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  add,  are  among  the  most  profit- 
able in  the  country.  And  on  some,  which  have  continued  to 
desecrate  the  Sabbath,  it  manifestly  would  have  been  more 
profitable,  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view,  if  the}-  had  not 
done  it. 

On  one  of  the  state  roads  in  a  neighboring  state,  they  car- 
ried on  the  Sabbath,  upon  an  average,  56^  passengers  during 
the  season.  To  this  they  employed  6S  men,  18  horses,  and 
14  steam  engines,  and  at  an  expense  to  the  state  of 
$3613  75,  being  $1477  00  more  than  the  income  ;  and 
when  all  the  income  would  have  been  obtained  during  the 
week,  had  they  not  run  on  the  Sabbath,  and  thus  $3613  75 
saved  to  the  state  —  a  sum  sufficient  to  pay  the  annual  interest 
on  $72,000  of  the  state  debt. 

VII.  By  running  the  cars  on  the  Sabbath,  you  tempt  others 
to  desecrate  that  day,  and  aid  and  abet  them  in  doing  it. 
This  exerts  a  highly-deleterious  influence,  especially  upon  the 
young,  and  in  numerous  ways  is  detrimental  to  all  the  great 
interests  of  our  country. 

You  also  deprive  those  whom  you  employ  of  the  rest  and 
the  privileges  of  the  holy  Sabbath.  You  prevent  their  attend- 
ance on  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  and  other  means  of 
grace  which  God  has  provided,  and  thus  exert  an  influence 
which  tends  to  prevent  their  preparation  for  heaven. 

VIII.  Increasing  numbers,  of  all  classes,  who,  in  the  light  of 
principles  and  facts,  examine  this  subject,  are  becoming  in- 
creasingly desirous  that  the  running  of  the  car?  on  the  Sab- 
bath should  cease.  And  we  cannot  but  hope,  that  you,  gen- 
tlemen, at  no  distant  time,  will  come  to  the  conclusion,  that 
the  highest  interests  of  all  will  be  promoted  by  throwing  the 
whole  weight  of  your  mfluence  on  the  side  of  Sabbath  obser- 
vance, and  that,  by  so  doing,  you  may  become  eminently 
benefactors  of  our  country  and  the  world. 

Do  you  say,  "  We  are  common  carriers  ;  and,  as  some  men 


68 

wish  to  travel  on  the  Sabbath,  we  must  run  onr  cars  to  accom- 
modate tliem"  ?  Why  must  you  run  your  cars  to  accommo- 
date them  ?  Do  the  laws  of  God,  or  the  laws  of  the  state,  re- 
quire it  ?    No,  they  both  forbid  it.     Why  then  must  you  doit  ? 

Suppose  the  same  men  should  wish  to  violate  the  laws,  hu- 
man and  divine,  in  other  ways ;  would  you  be  obliged,  be- 
cause you  are  common  carriers,  to  aid  and  abet  them  in  doing 
it  ?  Does  not  the  fact  that  men  are  placed  in  public  stations, 
and  are  thus  charged  with  special  responsibilities,  lay  them 
under  special  obligations  to  exert  the  influence  which  that 
gives  them,  not  for  the  injur}*,  but  for  the  benefit,  of  themselves 
and  their  children  ?  "  Train  up  a  child,"  sailh  infinite  wis- 
dom, "in  the  way  he  should  go,  and  when  he  is  old  he  will 
not  depart  from  it."  In  scarcely  anything  is  this  more  true 
or  important  than  with  regard  to  the  Christian  Sabbath.  The 
histor)'  of  the  last  thirty  years  gives  abundant  evidence,  that 
for  parents  to  continue,  by  business,  openly  to  desecrate  the 
Sabbath,  exerts  a  highly-deleterious  influence  on  their  chil- 
dren. Facts  speak  on  this  subject  as  with  a  voice  of  thunder, 
and  echo  the  declaration,  "  Six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do 
all  thy  work ;  but  remember  the  Sabbath  day,  and  keep  it 
holy.  In  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work  ;  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor 
thy  daughter,  nor  thy  man-servant,  nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor 
thy  cattle."  Men  who  have  continued  openly  to  violate  the 
Sabbath,  by  the  prosecution  of  worldly  business  on  that  day, 
have  in  so  many  cases  been  visited  in  their  persons,  estates,  or 
families,  with  calamities,  that  all  benevolent  minds  must  desire 
that  none  should  ibllow  their  example,  lest  they  should  be  par- 
takers of  their  plagues. 

On  the  other  hand,  those  who,  while  diligent  in  business 
during  the  six  days,  have  conscientiously  and  regularly  kept 
the  Sabbath,  and  gone  with  their  children  to  the  house  of  God, 
have  in  so  many  cases  been  visited  with  blessings,  which  have 
gone  down  to  their  children  and  children's  children,  that  all 
benevolent  minds  must  desire  that  such  blessings  may  become 
universal. 


Baltimore,  November  28,  1844. 


69 


RESOLUTIONS 

ADOPTED    By    THE 

NATIONAL    SABBATH    CONVENTION, 

BALTIMORE,  NOVEMBER,  1844. 


I.  Resolved,  That  we  ^atefully  rGcognize  the  wisdom  and  good- 
ness of  Jehovah  in  the  appointment  of  the  Sabbath,  in  the  sanction 
which  he  gave  to  it  by  his  own  example,  in  his  command  to  men  to 
remember  and  keep  it  holy,  and  in  the  blessings  which  it  has  been 
the  means  of  conferring  upon  those  who  have  kept  it  accordin"-  to 
his  will,  in  all  ages  of  the  world. 

II.  That  we  specially  notice  the  kindness  of  the  Lord,  in  leading 
the  fathers  of  our  country  so  extensively  to  acknowledge  the  sanc- 
tity of  his  day,  and  to  observe  it  as  a  day  of  rest  from  secular  busi- 
ness, travelling,  and  amusement,  and  of  special  devotion  to  the 
public  worship  of  God,  and  the  promotion  of  the  spiritual  good  of 
men. 

III.  That  the  blessings  which  we  are  enjoying  from  the  labors 
and  sacrifices  of  those  who  have  gone  before  us,  —  for  which  labors 
and  sacrifices,  their  regard  for  the  Sabbath  was  an  essential  means 
of  preparing  them,  —  ought  to  lead  us,  in  this  matter,  conscien- 
tiously and  perseveringly  to  imitate  all  that  was  good  in  their 
example. 

TV.  That  the  influence  of  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  day,  in 
the  establishment  of  our  social,  civil,  and  religious  institutions,  was 
such  as  must  greatly  endear  it  to  the  hearts  of  all  intelligent  and 
consistent  patriots ;  and  the  continuance  and  legitimate  operations 
of  these  institutions  will  depend  in  no  small  degree  upon  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  people  of  this  country  shall  meet  the  responsibili- 
ties and  discharge  the  duties  of  that  sacred  day. 

V.  That  the  increasing  conviction,  which  Ls  manifested  in  various 
parts  of  our  country,  of  the  duty  and  utility  of  remembering  the 
Christian  Sabbath  and  keeping  it  holy,  and  the  consequent  diminu- 
tion of  secular  business,  and  the  increase  of  the  numbers  who  as- 
semble to  acknowledge  the  Author  of  their  blessings,  are  tokeas  for 
good  to  the  country,  and  ought  to  encourage  all  to  give  to  the  ob- 
servance of  this  day  the  sanction  of  their  habitual  example. 

VI.  That  we  witness  with  great  pleasure  the  influence  which 
many  editors,  not  only  of  the  religious,  but  the  secular  press  of  our 
country,  are  exerting  in  favor  of  the  Lord's  day,  and  trust  that 

D 


70 

their  labors  Tvill  be  duly  appreciated  by  the  patriotic  of  all  classes, 
and  meet  a  general  response  from  the  hearts  of  the  people. 

VII.  That,  in  a  free  country,  where  general  intelligence  and 
virtue  are  essential  to  the  purity  and  permanence  of  civil  institu- 
tions, the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  is  peculiarly  necessajy,  in  order 
to  secure  that  respect  for  the  laws,  which  is  essential  to  public 
tranquillity,  and  that  general  conviction  of  moral  responsibility  on 
which  the  safety  of  property,  character,  and  life,  and  tlie  appropriate 
enjoyment  and  use  of  these  blessings,  depend. 

VIII.  That  public  men,  who  are  raised,  by  the  suffrages  of  a  free 
people,  to  places  of  official  dignity  and  power,  are  laid  under  pecu- 
liar obligations  to  set  an  example,  with  regard  to  the  Lord's  day, 
which  shall  be  safe  and  salutary  to  their  fellow-men,  and  which 
shall  tend  to  render  the  due  observance  of  that  day  universal. 

IX.  That,  as  but  six  days  in  a  week  have  been  made  or  given  to 
men  for  secular  business,  they  have  no  right  to  take  any  more  for 
that  purpose ;  no  more  belong  to  them,  and,  if  men  take  more, 
they  take  that  which  is  not  theirs.  And  though  it  may  sometimes 
promise  some  temporary  good,  it  will  not  be  likely  to  end  well ;  for 
the  sabbatical  law  was  engraven  not  only  on  the  tables  of  stone, 
but  on  tlie  bodies  and  souls  of  men,  and  is  armed  with  a  penalty 
which  no  continued  violator  of  it  can  either  annul  or  evade. 

X.  That  bodies  of  men,  by  being  incorporated  for  private  or  pub- 
lic objects,  have  no  more  right  to  desecrate  the  Sabbath  than  indi- 
viduals ;  and  that  the  members  of  such  bodies  are  as  really  bound 
to  observe  it,  in  their  public  and  official  acts,  as  they  are  in  their 
individual  and  private  transactions  among  their  fellow-men. 

XL  That  we  recognize  with  peculiar  satisfaction  the  repeated 
instances  in  which  bodies  of  men,  in  their  official  capacity,  have 
of  late  manifested  their  regard  for  the  Lord's  day,  and  their  dispo- 
sition to  assist  those  whom  they  employ,  in  availing  tliemselves 
of  the  rest  and  the  privileges  which  that  day  was  designed  to 
afford. 

XII.  That  the  Sabbath  is  peculiarly  the  friend  of  tlie  laborer,  and 
comes  as  an  angel  of  mercy  to  give  him  rest  from  his  toils,  to  point 
him  upwards,  and  help  him  to  rise  in  anticipation  of,  and  prepara- 
tion for,  "  that  rest  which  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God." 

XIII.  That  it  is  not  only  the  privilege,  but  the  right,  of  the  la- 
borer to  rest  on  the  Sabbath,  and  a  right  of  which  he  cannot  be 
deprived  without  great  evil  to  himself,  to  his  family,  and  to  his 
fellow-men. 

XIV.  That,  as  it  is  proved  by  facts  that,  on  the  whole,  more  labor 
can  be  performed  by  working  six  days  in  a  week,  and  resting  one, 
than  can  be  performed  by  working  seven,  and  that  it  can  be  done 
in  a  better  manner,  the  pecuniary  interests  of  men,  no  less  really 
than  their  moral  duties,  urge  them  to  respect  that  law  of  their  na- 
ture, and  of  nature's  God,  which  requires  a  day  of  weekly  rest,  and 
of  devout  acknowledgment  of  liim,  as  the  Maker,  Redeemer,  and 
Governor  of  the  world. 


71 

XV.  That,  as  the  dissemination  of  a  knowledge  of  principles 
and  facts,  with  regard  to  the  Sabbath,  is  one  of  the  most  powerful 
means  of  securing  its  observance,  it  is  recommended  to  all  to 
supply  themselves  with  interesting  publications  on  this  subject,  and 
to  circulate  them  in  all  suitable  ways,  as  extensively  as  possible. 

XVI.  That,  should  every  family  obtain  some  good  Sabbath 
manual,  that  all  children  and  youth  may  understand  the  object  of 
tlie  Divine  Being  in  the  appointment  of  the  Sabbath,  and  the 
reasons  why  all  should  observe  it,  they  would,  it  is  believed, 
greatly  promote,  not  only  their  own  interest,  but  all  the  great  in- 
terests of  mankind. 

XVII.  That  the  efforts  that  are  made  by  ship-owners,  merchants, 
and  others,  to  give  the  rest  and  privileges  of  the  Lord's  day  to  sea- 
men, must  tend  to  elevate  their  character,  increase  their  usefulness, 
and  promote  the  good  of  all. 

XVIII.  That  the  connection  between  the  desecration  of  the 
Sabbath,  and  the  use,  as  a  beverage,  of  intoxicating  liquors,  and 
the  traffic  in  them  for  that  purpose,  and  the  aid  which  each  affords 
in  the  promotion  of  the  other,  should  lead  the  friends  of  temperance, 
as  well  as  of  the  Sabbath,  to  persevere  in  judicious  efforts  to  cause 
each  of  these  evils  to  be  done  away. 

XIX.  That  this  convention  view  with  gratitude  to  the  Divine 
Bemg,  tlie  effort  which  has  for  some  time  past  been  making  on  the 
part  of  the  national  government,  as  well  as  of  many  officers  of 
the  army,  to  extend  to  the  soldiery  the  privilege  of  resting  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  attending  the  worship  of  the  sanctuary.  And  it  is  ar- 
dently hoped,  through  the  good  providence  of  God,  that  this  privi- 
lege will  soon  be  extended  to  the  entire  army. 

XX.  That  the  clergy  of  the  different  denominations  of  Chris- 
tians in  the  United  States  be  respectfully  requested  to  preach, 
annually,  a  sermon,  or  sermons,  adapted  to  promote  the  scriptural 
observance  of  the  Lord's  day,  and,  if  convenient  to  them,  to  select 
the  month  before  harvest  as  the  season  for  such  discourse. 

XXI.  That  the  assistance  which  the  venerable  John  Quincy 
Adams,  late  president  of  the  United  States,  has  rendered  to  the 
objects  of  this  Convention,  in  the  able,  dignified,  and  kind  manner 
in  which  he  has  presided  over  our  deliberations,  and  in  the  testi- 
mony which  he  has  borne  to  the  importance  of  the  Sabbath  to  the 
social,  civil,  and  religious  interests  of  our  country,  deserves  and 
receives  our  grateful  acknowledgments ;  and  that  the  secretaries 
be  directed  to  transmit  it  to  him,  with  our  earnest  desires  for  his 
health,  usefulness,  and  happiness ;  and  that,  when  he  shall  have 
done  with  the  things  of  this  world,  he  may  be  prepared  for,  and 
received  to,  "  that  rest  which  remaiueth  for  the  people  of  God." 


72 


LETTERS. 


From  Chief  Justice  Hornblower,  of  the  State  of  JVew  Jersey,  to  the 
National  Sabbath  Convention. 

"  Please,  dear  sir,  assure  the  Convention,  when  it  shall  be  assem- 
bled, that  in  the  great  object  of  their  meeting,  I  am  with  them, 
heart  and  soul,  in  all  my  moral  feelings,  my  Christian  sympathies, 
and  my  love  of  country.  It  would  be  as  useless  as  it  would  be 
indiscreet  for  me  to  attempt,  within  the  limits  of  such  a  commu- 
nication as  this  should  be,  to  write  an  essay  on  the  obligation  that 
rests  upon  us  to  keep  holy  the  Sabbath  day,  and  the  importance  of 
doing  so,  as  connected  with  the  well-being  of  society,  the  enjoy- 
ment of  personal  health  and  comfort,  and  the  promotion  and  secu- 
rity of  domestic  peace,  virtue,  and  happiness.  Such  discussions  I 
must  leave  to  abler  hands,  and  to  those  whose  studies,  duties,  and 
avocations  in  life,  better  fit  them  for  such  a  task.  Permit  me,  how- 
ever, to  advert  for  a  moment  to  my  own  experience  and  observa- 
tions, on  this  subject.  For  forty  years  I  have  been  extensively  and 
familiarly  acquainted  and  connected  with  the  administration  of 
justice  in  this  state  ;  and  for  the  last  twelve  years,  as  the  presiding 
member  of  its  Supreme  Court,  it  has  been  my  painful  duty  to  pro- 
nounce the  sentence  of  the  law  on  many  wretched  convicts,  and 
for  crimes  of  every  grade,  from  that  of  the  petty  thief  to  the  cruel 
and  cold-blooded  murderer.  On  the  trial  of  many  of  those  persons, 
their  histories,  sometimes  from  their  boyhood,  and  their  early  associa- 
tions, have  been  incidentally,  and,  more  or  less,  fully  developed ;  and  1 
hazard  nothing  in  saying  that,  in  a  large  majority  of  such  cases,  the 
first  and  minor  delinquencies  of  the  convict  have  resulted  from,  or 
been  connected  with,  desecrations  of  the  Sabbath,  by  themselves  and 
their  companions.  In  many  instances,  too,  the  unhappy  convicts 
turn  out  to  be  the  children  of  Sabbath-breaking  parents;  or  of 
parents,  however  otherwise  respectable,  or  well  off  in  society,  who 
have  habitually  neglected  the  religious  observance  of  the  Sabbath, 
and  permitted  tlieir  families  and  children  to  live  and  grow  up  in 
utter  disregard  of  that  day,  and  of  all  the  sacred  institutions  con- 
nected with  it. 

"  I  could  extend  these  remarks,  and  give  some  specific  and  pain- 
ful instances  of  moral  turpitude,  and  of  human  sorrow  and  suffering, 
resulting  from  the  habitual  desecration  or  neglect  of  the  Sabbath, 
illustrating  the  views  I  have  expressed,  and  proving  the  blessed 
truth  that  that  day  was  made  for  man,  and  kindly  instituted  by 
Heaven  to  promote  both  liis  temporal  and  eternal  welfare.    But 


73 

time  will  not  permit  me  to  enlarge.  May  the  God  of  the  Sabbath 
and  the  sanctuary  be  with  the  Convention  when  it  meets.  May 
nothing  be  attempted  in  mere  human  Avisdom  ;  nothing  hoped  for  as 
the  result  of  man's  device ;  nothing  done  that  shall  have  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  wanton  interference  with  the  laws  and  institutions 
of  our  country,  or  the  civil  and  religious  liberty  of  our  fellow-citi- 
zens. Let  moral  suasion,  exhortation,  and  advice,  precept,  exam- 
ple, and  prayer,  be  resorted  to,  and  relied  upon,  under  God,  as  our 
means  of  sustaining  and  promoting  the  sanctification  and  obser- 
vance of  the  Sabbath,  and  of  perpetuating  and  increasing  its  hal- 
lowed influences,  and  then  we  may  hope  for  success  in  our  noble 
and  benevolent  enterprise.  Commending  the  Convention  to  the 
guidance  and  protection  of  Him  from  whom  cometh  down  every 
good  and  perfect  gift,  and  sincerely  praying  that  the  spirit  of  wis- 
dom will  preside  in  their  councils,  and  conduct  them  to  biessed  re- 
sults, 1  remain,  dear  sir, 

"  Most  respectfully,  your  friend  and  servant, 

«JOS.  C.  HORNBLOWER." 


From  the  Rev.  Dr.  Schrmicker,  Professor  in  the  Lutheran  Seminary, 
at  Gettxjshurg,  Pa. 

"  To  the  Sabbath  Convention,  &c. 

"Dear  Brethren:  Until  this  morning  I  cherished  the 
pleasing  expectation  of  personally  appearing  in  your  midst;  but 
the  sudden  increase  of  cold  compels  me  to  shun  an  exposure, 
which  would  almost  certainly  cause  the  return  of  a  disease,  by 
which  I  was  confined  to  the  house  during  the  greater  part  of  last 
winter.  Under  these  circumstances,  I  should,  in  common  with 
other  non-attending  delegates,  have  contented  myself  with  silently 
praying  for  the  divine  blessing  on  your  assemblage  ;  but  having, 
in  addition  to  my  county  appointment,  been  honored  by  the  Ameri- 
can and  Foreign  Sabbath  Association,  as  one  of  their  delegates  to 
this  Convention,  I  feel  it  due  to  that  respectable  body,  and  to  my- 
self, to  express  my  deep  sympathy  in  the  objects  of  an  assemblage, 
on  which  the  eyes  of  angels,  and  of  God,  I  doubt  not,  linger  with 
pleasure. 

"  To  promote  the  better  observance  of  that  day,  most  intimately 
connected  with  the  highest  interests  of  men,  and  by  moral  and  legal 
means  to  withdraw  this  great  nation  from  the  ranks  of  its  positive 
and  official  desecrators,  so  that  all,  whether  office-bearers  or  pri- 
vate Christians,  may,  in  reality,  as  well  as  in  profession,  be  left  to 
enjoy  those  rights  of  conscience  guarantied  by  our  national  con- 
stitution, is  a  noble  aim.  It  will  aid  our  fellow-citizens  throughout 
the  lengtli  and  breadth  of  this  land,  to  rise  to  a  consciousness  of 
their  immortal  destinies,  to  recognize  their  relation  to  the  God  of 
the  universe,  and  learn  to  feel  that,  though  dwelling  on  earth,  their 
proper  citizenship  is  in  heaven.  Such  an  object  cannot  fail  to  in- 
sure tlie  smiles  of  Jehovah,  until  tlie  supreme  Lawgiver  no  longer 


74 

delights  in  the  obedience  of  his  creatures,  nor  takes  pleasure  in 
contemplating  actions  which  he  himself  has  commanded. 

"  To  our  country  Providence  has  given  peculiar  facilities  for  this 
holy  enterprise,  and  on  us  doubtless  devolves  peculiar  responsibil- 
ity. Concerning  the  grounds  of  obligation  to  sabbatic  observance, 
some  diversity  of  opinion  perhaps  exists ;  on  the  obligation  itself 
there  can  be  none.  On  this  common  ground,  the  importance  of 
the  observance,  and  the  best  measures  for  more  fully  securing  it, 
by  private  individuals,  by  churches,  and  by  the  constituted  autlior- 
ities  of  the  land,  we  have  a  field  sufficiently  wide  for  harmonious 
effort  The  very  first  emperor  who  ever  professed  the  Christian 
religion  decreed  that  the  Christian  soldiers  in  his  army  should  have 
leisure,  on  the  Lord's  day,  to  attend  religious  worship.  How  hu- 
miliating the  fact,  that,  after  the  lapse  of  fifteen  centuries,  many 
thousands  of  our  citizens,  in  the  employment  of  our  Christian 
government,  have  this  privilege  denied  them  ! 

"  But  I  will  trespass  on  your  time  no  longer.  May  the  Lord  of 
tlie  Sabbath  breathe  his  sacred  influence  over  your  assembly,  and 
so  prosper  his  and  our  holy  enterprise,  that  the  careful  observance 
of  the  Lord's  day  will  again,  as  it  was  among  the  early  Christians, 
be  the  badge  of  discipleship,  and  the  interrogation  of  their  heathen 
persecutors,  Dominiciim  sei-vasti  ?  be  again  equivalent  to  the  inquiry, 
Art  thou  a  Christian  ? 

"  Your  brother  in  Christ, 

«S.  S.  SCHMUCKER." 


From  Chancellor  Walworth,  of  the  State  of  JVew  York. 

"  Dear  Sir  :  Allow  me,  through  you,  to  express  to  the  Na- 
tional Sabbath  Convention,  about  to  assemble  at  Baltimore,  and  to 
which  I  was  appointed  a  delegate,  my  sincere  regret  that  1  cannot, 
consistently  with  other  duties,  attend  its  deliberations.  I  had 
made  arrangements  to  be  there,  and  until  yesterday  supposed  I 
should  be  able  to  do  so. 

"Not  only  the  religion,  but  the  general  morality  of  a  nation,  is 
intimately  connected  with  the  due  obserA^ance  of  the  Sabbath ;  and 
the  deliberations  of  this  Convention,  I  have  reason  to  believe,  will 
have  a  most  important  influence  in  turning  the  attention  of  every 
part  of  our  extended  republic  to  the  subject.  Experience  has 
shown  that  the  morals  of  the  people  soon  become  corrupted  where 
the  Sabbath,  instead  of  being  devoted  to  the  contemplation  of  God, 
and  the  duties  we  owe  to  him  and  our  fellow-men,  and  our  families, 
is  spent  by  the  mass  of  the  people  in  secular  employments,  profane 
revelry,  irreligious  sports,  or  in  travelling  on  business,  or  for 
pleasure.  I  will  refer  to  a  striking  illustration  of  this  fact.  We 
know,  from  history,  that  James  the  First  of  England,  in  the  latter 
part  of  his  reign,  publicly  sanctioned  the  desecration  of  the  Sab- 
bath, by  his  impious  declaration  in  favor  of  Sabbath  sports  in  Lan- 
cashire ;  and,  a  few  years  afterwards,  his  unprincipled  son  and  sue- 


75 

cessor  consummated  the  work  of  impiety,  by  enlarg'ing  the  license, 
and  extending  it  to  all  England.  He  also  rebuked  and  censured 
the  excellent  Chief  Justice  Richardson,  and  the  magistracy,  who 
had  attempted  to  preserve  the  holy  rest  of  the  Sabbath  from  being 
disturbed  by  dancing  assemblies,  and  other  revelry,  archery,  vault- 
ing, and  other  sports  of  the  like  nature.  I  regret  that  I  am  also 
obliged  to  say  that  the  then  primate  of  England  joined  with  the 
king  in  this  censure  and  rebuke  of  the  upright  chief  justice,  if  he 
did  not  indeed  instigate  the  declaration  of  Charles  the  First  in  favor 
of  Sabbath-breaking,  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  people  from  the 
encroachments  of  power.  The  corrupted  state  of  the  public 
morals  which  followed,  particularly  among  the  Cavaliers  and  the 
lower  classes,  is,  to  some  extent,  a  matter  of  history,  and  is  daily 
becoming  more  so  as  the  light  of  truth  is  thrown  upon  the  history 
of  that  dark  period.  The  bloody  revolution  which  succeeded,  and 
the  final  expulsion  of  the  race  of  the  Stuarts  from  the  throne,  a 
few  years  afterwards,  may  properly  be  considered  as  but  the  just 
retributions  of  an  offended  God  —  that  God  who,  amid  the  thunder- 
ings  of  Sinai,  had  commanded  tlie  people  to  remember  the  Sabbath 
day,  to  keep  it  holy. 

"  Allow  me  also  to  refer  to  the  case  of  the  total  abrogation  of 
the  Sabbath  by  revolutionary  France.  That  abrogation  was  ac- 
companied by  a  general  corruption  of  morals,  and  even  by  the 
breaking  up  of  the  conjugal  relation,  under  the  law  alloAving  an 
unlimited  divorce  at  the  mere  will  of  the  parties,  when,  as  the  Abbe 
Gregoire  states,  upwards  of  twenty  thousand  divorces  were  regis- 
tered in  the  short  space  of  eighteen  months  ;  and  those  in  the  city  of 
Paris  were  nearly  equal  to  the  number  of  marriages.  There  again 
the  headless  trunks  of  unnumbered  thousands  of  contending  fac- 
tions attested  the  righteous  indignation  of  the  God  of  the  Sabbath, 
at  this  national  desecration  and  abrogation  of  his  holy  day,  and  tlie 
total  extinction  of  all  religion. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  I  may  refer  with  pleasure  to  the  high  state 
of  public  and  private  morals  which  existed  among  the  Pilgrim 
fathers  of  our  own  beloved  country,  who  fled  hither  that  they  miglit 
enjoy  and  maintain  the  undisturbed  sanctity  of  the  Lord's  day,  with 
freedom  also  from  religious  persecution.  Witness  also  the  approv- 
ing smiles  of  Heaven  which  followed  the  proper  observance  of  that 
holy  day,  by  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Pilgrims.  And  allow 
me,  in  view  of  these  facts,  to  congratulate  you,  and  the  members 
of  the  Convention  generally,  upon  the  progress  which  has  already 
been  made,  in  various  parts  of  our  country,  in  restoring  the  sanc- 
tity of  the  Sabbath ;  and  also  upon  the  increasing  attention  to  its 
proper  observance  by  all  classes,  particularly  by  that  portion  of  the 
laboring  classes  who  have  been  engaged  in  the  conveyance  of  pas- 
sengers, and  of  the  public  mails,  and  in  the  navigation  of  our  rivers 
and  canals. 

"  Bishop  Porteus  says,  the  Sabbath  is  the  bulwark  of  poverty 
against  the  encroacliments  of  capital.     And  many  who  have  here- 


76 

tofore  been  employed  to  run  stages  and  steamboats,  or  to  labor  on 
our  canal  and  railroad  lines,  upon  the  Sabbath,  are  beginning  to 
learn  and  to  feel  that  capitalists  are  depriving  them  not  only  of 
their  religious  privileges,  but  also  of  civil  privileges,  enjoyed  by 
others.  These  men  are  compelled  to  labor  seven  days  in  a  week 
for  the  support  of  themselves  and  their  families  ;  which  support  is, 
in  fact,  but  the  fair  wages  of  six  days'  labor ;  for  the  seventh  day 
is  given  to  the  laboring  man  by  the  laws  of  his  country,  as  well  as 
by  his  beneficent  Creator,  as  a  day  of  rest  —  a  day  to  be  enjoyed  in 
the  bosom  of  his  family,  and  in  attendance  upon  the  institutions 
of  religion,  in  which  the  temporal  as  well  as  the  eternal  welfare  of 
himself  and  his  children  is  so  deeply  concerned. 

'  Hail,  blessed  Sabbath  !  thee  I  hail,  the  poor  man's  day  ; 
On  other  days  the  man  of  toil  is  doomed 
To  spend  his  joyless  hours  away  from  those  he  loves.' 

"  And  I  trust  that  many  of  the  class  of  the  men  of  toil,  to  which 
I  have  before  referred,  when  they  also  see  the  gross  injustice,  as 
well  as  the  sinfulness,  of  their  being  thus  deprived  of  the  civil  and 
religious  privileges  of  this  blessed  day,  by  the  encroachments  of 
capital,  wiil  make  up  their  minds  to  resist  such  injustice  for  the 
future. 

"  May  the  reform  which  has  commenced,  continue  to  progress. 
And  may  you,  and  your  associates  in  the  Convention,  and  all  others 
engaged  in  tliis  purely  benevolent  work,  persevere  in  your  exertions 
for  the  entire  sanctification  of  the  Sabbath ;  until  nothing  but  tlie 
sound  of  the  church-going  bell,  the  voice  of  the  messenger  of  sal- 
vation, and  the  accents  of  prayer  and  of  praise,  shall  break  upon  its 
holy  stillness,  throughout  the  whole  lengtli  and  breadth  of  this  highly- 
favored  land. 

"  I  am,  with  respect  and  esteem,  yours,  &c., 

"  R.  H.  WALWORTH." 

From  Theo.  Frelinglniysen^  Chancellor  of  the  JYew  York  University. 
"  Gentlemen  :  I  sincerely  regret  that  my  duties  in  the  uni- 
versity will  not  allow  me  to  meet  you,  agreeably  to  your  kind  invi- 
tation, at  the  Sabbath  Convention,  to  be  held  at  Baltimore,  on 
Wednesday  next.  I  hope  for  great  blessings  to  follow  this  move- 
ment in  behalf  of  the  Sabbath  day  ;  and  my  earnest  prayer  to  God 
is,  that  his  Spirit  may  be  present  with  you,  and  guide  all  your  de- 
liberations to  the  happiest  results.  He  has  written  the  solemn  truth 
on  the  whole  line  of  his  Providence,  as  well  as  on  the  pages  of  his 
word,  that  the  people  who  despise  his  Sabbaths  must  suffer  his 
frowns.  May  we  be  enabled  to  bring  the  claims  of  this  holy  day 
of  mercy  and  privilege  near  to  the  consideration  and  earnest  regard 
of  our  fellow-citizens.  When  they  shall  esteem  it  a  delight  and 
honorable,  then  may  we  hope  for  prosperity  in  larger  measures  than 
ever  before. 

"  With  great  respect,  yours, 

«  THEO.  FRELINGHUYSEN." 


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